Ask anyone under 40 in most places on Earth and you won’t find many who spend a day without the Internet. In fact, as of July 2024, there were 5.45 billion internet users worldwide; that’s 67.1 percent of the global population. Nations such as North Korea make up some of this gap, with virtually no internet usage in the country. However, countries in Northern Europe showed some of the highest use, with UK internet usage standing at around 96 percent.
That being said, digital exclusion still exists, according to UK charity the Good Things Foundation. If 4 percent of the UK population can’t use the Internet, that’s still almost three million people. Older adults, those from less affluent backgrounds and individuals with impairments or health conditions are often the ones left out. Despite the 1.5 million people brought online in the UK due to the COVID-19 pandemic, engagement for these groups actually declined during the same period. This underscores that barriers preventing many from accessing such a vital resource persist.
The broader impact of digital exclusion
Digital exclusion affects more than just internet access—the consequences are profound. Without digital skills or access, people are cut off from access to essential services. Isolation and loneliness are also consequences, as digital connections are now a central component of most social interactions.
According to the Good Things Foundation, another 1 in 5 adults lack the basic digital skills necessary to participate fully in an increasingly online world. Indeed, we’re in the midst of the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution, with automation and the implementation of advanced technology becoming ever-present in almost all sectors. As a result, an ever-increasing number of jobs require employees to be digitally skilled. The digital divide therefore means that disconnected or digitally unskilled users struggle to find employment, further exacerbating economic disparities.
In recent years, UK bank branches have continued to close and cash use has declined. Only 14 percent of the 85+ age group bank online, with 58 percent relying on face-to-face banking. The ensuing rise of digital banking has put the many older people reliant on these declining services at risk of being unable to manage their own money.
As well as the workforce and the elderly, kids are also losing out. A 2021 Ofcom report said that 6 percent of UK families struggled with broadband costs. A report from 2020 estimated that between 1 and 1.8 million children didn’t have access to a laptop, desktop or tablet at home. Victoria Benson, chief executive of Gingerbread, a charity that supports single-parent families in the UK, told the BBC that “almost half of single-parent families already live in poverty… This means they simply can’t afford costly broadband contracts or additional data for children to take part in online lessons.”
As the UK faces continued slow economic growth, digital exclusion—driven by factors like affordability—continues to widen. Without intervention, the most vulnerable are bound to be left further behind.
Good Things Foundation: Pioneering digital inclusion
For almost two decades, the Good Things Foundation has been tackling digital exclusion, both in the UK and globally. During the pandemic, they supplied over 22,000 people in the UK with essential devices, internet data and support for free. They’ve reached over four million people around the world during their operation. The organisation’s work has made a significant impact. According to their data, 20 percent of participants in their scheme were able to secure a job, 52 percent reported feeling less lonely and 77 percent are now able to use online government services. 83 percent feel more confident using online tools to manage their health.
At the heart of these efforts is their National Digital Inclusion Network. This service partners with charities and community organisations to deliver an accessible yet comprehensive support package to the digitally disenfranchised. This includes Learn My Way, a community-focused learning platform that helps build digital confidence through basic skills training.
The Good Things Foundation, in collaboration with Virgin Media O2, also pioneered the National Databank. Since 2021, it has secured over 500,000 mobile data SIMs that it distributes through the National Digital Inclusion Network, helping people without access to stable Internet stay connected for free.
Alongside the Databank, the Good Things Foundation is establishing a National Device Bank. This addresses a critical barrier to digital inclusion: access to devices. Many people remain offline because they cannot afford a smartphone, tablet or computer. The National Device Bank collects large donations of used digital devices from organisations across various sectors, refurbishes them and then distributes them to people without home internet access, promoting digital circularity. This means not only less e-waste from unused electronics, another rising global concern, but also ensures that digital resources are distributed more fairly across society.
62 million metric tons of e-waste was generated across the world in 2022. That’s nearly double the amount discarded in 2010.
Setting the template for global change
Figures from 2021 show a promising shift—fewer people now say that “nothing” would persuade them to go online, and there has been a sevenfold increase in the number of people willing to use local support to improve their digital skills.
The Internet isn’t going anywhere. According to current UN Secretary-General António Guterres, “looking to the future, two seismic shifts will shape the 21st century: the climate crisis, and digital transformation.” To effectively fix the digital divide, countries worldwide need a robust social infrastructure that prioritises digital inclusion. Even better, one that promotes circularity so that this inclusion doesn’t come at the expense of our limited natural resources. Organisations such as the Good Things Foundation are leading the charge by ensuring that everyone, no matter their circumstances, can access and benefit from the digital world.
