The Digital Divide

A recent survey has shown that the number of people in the United Kingdom who do not intend to get internet access has risen. These people, who are known as  'net refuseniks', make up 24% of UK households, or 9.2 million people in total.

The research also showed that more than 70 percent of these people said that they were not interested in getting connected to the internet. This number has risen from just over 50% in 2010, with most giving lack of computer skills as a reason for not getting internet access, though some also said it was because of the cost.

More and more people are getting broadband and high speed net is available almost everywhere in the UK, but there are still a significant number of people who refuse to take the first step.

The cost of getting online is going down and internet speeds are increasing, so many see the main challenge to be explaining the relevance of the internet to this group.

This would encourage them to get connected before they are left too far behind.    The gap between those who have access to and use the internet is the digital divide, and if the gap continues to widen, those without access will get left behind and miss out on many opportunities, especially in their careers.