I recently heard about Pass IT On – an initiative designed to help some of the 10 million “digitally excluded” people in the UK get online. The idea is to help people to help their own friends and family get online by providing community learning centers, and training on Internet basics.
There are a lot of people who still don’t have access to the Internet and all of the resources that it places at their disposal. And that number is disproportionately high amongst the older age groups, and those who are socially disadvantaged – here are some figures from the website of UK Online Centres (the group that runs the program):
- 24% of adults in the UK don’t use the Internet
- 21% of adults in the UK have never used the Internet
- 30% of households in the UK don’t have access to the Internet
- 77% of those who aren’t online are retired or not working
- 28% of those who aren’t online live in social housing
- Only 15% of people living in deprived areas have used a government online service or website in the last year, compared to 55% nationally
- Internet users’ confidence in their ability to find work outstrips non-users by 25%
- 54% of those without access are in the lowest socio-economic groups (DE)
- 86% of those without access are over 45.
As you know, this blog focuses on information security, and the Internet can be a frightening place for newcomers. So I asked Helen Milner, Managing Director of UK Online Centres, about their approach. Here’s what she said:
Lots of people have never used the Internet because all the stories they’ve heard about cyber crime and identity theft has made them wary. Through Pass IT On you can sign up someone you care about to do the free Online Basics course – that’s mouse, keyboard, email, search, and Internet safety.
We think that, without the Internet safety part of the course, it would be like letting someone learn to drive a car without knowing the highway code. We always tell people new to the Internet that they don’t need to be scared of what might happen, but they do need to know the basics of how to keep themselves safe.
It’s really refreshing to see a group take this approach. Last time I looked, Pass IT On had helped 156,873 people get online for the first time. It’s a small step, but it’s a step in the right direction.
Sadly, there doesn’t seem to be an equivalent project in the USA. But, if you’re in the UK, pass it on to your friends and family!
