How can we close the digital divide?
Digital inclusivity is the use of technology to enhance a person’s quality of life both socially and economically through access to information.
Although the level of digital inclusion among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is lower than the nation’s average, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander digital inclusion levels have considerably increased over the past five years.
This gap in digital inclusion is referred to as the digital divide, and while Australia’s Indigenous people living in rural communities are experiencing some of the lowest levels of digital inclusion, their urban counterparts are increasingly contributing to closing this gap.
What is the digital divide and how is it calculated?
The digital divide is the gap that exists between those who have access to digital technology and the internet, and those who do not.
The annual Australian Digital Inclusion Index (ADII) measures the levels of digital inclusivity throughout Australia based on access, affordability, and digital ability, and identifies where a divide exists.
In 2019, Indigenous Australians scored below the national average in each of these three areas, with affordability showing the largest gap. However, this affordability result reflects the amount of mobile only users that exist in remote parts of Australia.
The ADII data collection didn’t extend to some remote communities, where geographic isolation and socioeconomic disadvantage create further challenges for digital inclusion. As a result of this, the true digital divide may be different than what has previously been calculated.
What factors contribute to the digital divide and where is it beginning to close?
Geographical disadvantage, device sharing and data collection inconsistencies each contribute to the identified gaps in digital accessibility, affordability and user ability.
The 2014–2015 NATSISS revealed 47.5% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who reside remotely had accessed the internet in the past 12 months, in comparison to 88.8% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in metropolitan areas. This highlights geography as an important factor when accessing digital technology and the internet.
As mentioned above, a large portion of Indigenous Australians access the internet solely through a mobile phone, often device sharing among family members. This method of accessing data, while more flexible, is more expensive per gigabyte and can result in a slower internet connection without access to fixed broadband technology via a computer.
An article shared by The Conversation identified that device sharing presents problems such as insecurities in online banking, sending and receiving messages for the wrong people, and can cause family tensions through social media applications. This has resulted in some people avoiding the use of digital technologies and internet resources, which fluctuates the level of digital divide.
A final consideration when exploring digital inclusion rates is that without reporting on a person's ability to act independently or make their own free choices, their priorities and their worldviews, levels of Indigenous inclusion are unlikely to increase. Find out more about Indigenous data sovereignty here.
What digital strengths can we see among the Indigenous community?
Mobile-only users, while paying higher prices for internet connection, show how remote communities are still gaining access to modern technology. In some cases, people in remote communities are skipping the phase of owning a personal computer and instead transitioning straight into using hand-held mobiles and tablets.
This type of digital interaction can be attributed to the high engagement of social media among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. In the past five years, more than 60% of the remote Aboriginal population were on Facebook, which is 20% more than the average Australian community. A study from Macquarie University supports this statistic and states that Indigenous Australians have always been early adopters of technology and use social media at rates higher than non-Indigenous Australians.
The adoption of social media provides one example of how Indigenous communities are taking steps to close the digital divide.
How can we contribute to closing the divide?
All Australians can contribute to bridging the digital divide, but closing the digital gap involves more than simply improving internet connectivity.
A Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) is a great way for organisations to build digital capability within Australia’s Indigenous communities. If your organisation already has a RAP, talk to someone in the RAP committee about ideas you have to help address Indigenous digital inclusion.
If you don’t have a RAP at your company, there are some great resources available to help guide you along the way. Producing a RAP takes a great deal of responsibility, it’s good to know as much as you can about it up front. We recommend reading the Reconciliation Australia website guide to get started.
Each year the Indigenous Mapping Workshop Australia (IMW) provides a supportive platform and opportunity for all Indigenous Australians to learn and embrace digital technologies in the geospatial industry.
Read about how IMW 2019 scholarship winners embraced technology to implement digital mapping projects in their communities. The Kullilli Bulloo River Aboriginal Corporation used their internal mapping knowledge to help connect their community to country and culture. Meanwhile, the Willowra Community created employment opportunities for community members to learn digital mapping tools and create a digital resource to bridge the cultural knowledge gap of younger generations.
The IMW is an initiative of Winyama. If you are interested in volunteering at our annual national event, get in touch.
How can Winyama help?
Winyama is passionate about empowering Indigenous Australians to participate in the digital economy and make data-driven decisions in areas such as cultural and land management mapping and native title and land tenure discussions.
Do you want to contribute to Indigenous digital inclusion? Consider collaborating with Winyama for your next mapping project and get in touch with our team today!