Digitalisation and the imperative of digital inclusion

More articles and free ressources on the blog

The last quarter of 2019 was an inflection point in media consumption around the world. According to Statistica, the Internet has dethroned television for the first time in terms of the average daily duration of consumption worldwide. At a time when digitalization is taking a decisive turn, it is also urgent and imperative to question the degree of inclusion of this medium. The global average of more than 170 minutes per day may well hide very large disparities. According to the International Telecommunications Union, only 51% of the world's population would be connected to the Internet by the end of 2018.

Digitalisation: an irreversible trend

Also used to refer to "digital transformation”, the concept of digitalization means an increasingly profound use of the Internet and information and communication technologies (ICTs). This leads to a radical, if not disruptive, transformation in the way organizations, trades and business models of organizations work, as well as key factors for success (FCS) in the markets. The result is also new uses for consumers and citizens, which has a profound and irreversible impact on their behavior.

While enabling organizations to achieve high levels of operational and relational excellence, the ever-increasing digitalization of many essential services or approaches can also make digital an additional exclusionary factor, especially for vulnerable populations.

The forms of exclusion in the face of digital

By engaging in digital transformation to improve their operations, companies and governments alike have dematerialized their processes and have made the Internet the preferred channel of contact with their targets. This has had the effect of excluding or making it difficult for all people in digital precarious situations to access their services and platforms. The precariousness, at the origin of digital exclusion, could have several origins:

• For people far from digital, it is mainly the low rate of equipment in computer equipment and telecommunications (computers, tablets, smartphones, ...), connectivity problems (ADSL, Wi-Fi, 4G, ...),
• For people with digital difficulties, it is mainly due to more structural problems related to illiteracy and non-familiarization with these technologies,
• An additional form of exclusion could be linked to uses that do not generate value for these populations.

To address these disparities in usage and access to digital tools for all consumers and citizens, it is essential that all players in the digital ecosystem (companies and startups, administrations and public institutions, IT development and services companies, telecommunications operators, Internet access and hosting providers, training and research institutions, associative worlds, etc.) work together to put in place solutions to promote a more inclusive model that makes digital a factor in sustainable development growth.

Digital Inclusion Levers

According to "solidarity connection books", digital inclusion, or e-inclusion, is"a process that aims to make digital accessible to every individual, mainly telephony and the internet, and to transmit to them the digital skills that will enable them to make these tools a lever of their social and economic integration". Thus, it is clear that the democratization of access to Internet equipment and infrastructure as well as the transmission of the skills necessary for the use of these technologies that are secure and value-creating are the main levers of action. Such programmes are all the more important and urgent in countries, such as Morocco, suffering from structural problems related to low levels of income and schooling.

The promotion of "digital literacy" is becoming a priority. It must enable individuals to have the skills to live, learn and work in a society where communication and access to information is increasingly made through digital technologies such as Internet platforms, social media and mobile devices. This could also allow individuals to become autonomous in the face of digital selfcare, i.e. not dependent on others and have the ability to carry out actions to manage their account or to use support information independently through a website, mobile application or chatbot.

It is also the case of secure access to the Internet so as not to be a victim of hacking, phishing, digital identity theft and other acts of delinquency and crime on the net. This includes raising awareness about securing the computer terminal (updating, locking, backing up), securing online purchases, securing passwords, using email securely, distrusting fake administrative sites, communicating on social networks with care, etc.

Finally, a final aspect, but not the least, concerns awareness of the legal aspects of internet use and digital technologies. Compliance with personal data laws (CnDP Act 09-08) is also of paramount importance.

In conclusion, it is important to recognize that digital inclusion is a determining factor in social and economic inclusion in a knowledge society where digital technologies are becoming ubiquitous and play an essential role. Technologies that must be a lever for individual and collective transformation to reduce inequalities and economic and social exclusions.