What is Digital Exclusion?
In modern life, many essential services and opportunities are only available online. When someone cannot use the internet or digital devices, to access the same opportunities other people can access, they are Digitally Excluded.
What does being digitally excluded look like
Being digitally excluded is caused by 3 factors:
- Not having the skills, knowledge or confidence to use a digital device or browse the internet.
- Not owning, or not having access to digital devices, e.g. phones, laptops or tablets.
- Not being connected, to either the phone network or to the internet.
Any one of these barriers on its own is enough to leave someone locked out of essential services, support and opportunities — and for many people we work with, it’s a combination of all three.
- Employment: job applications are increasingly online-only, so someone without a device or connection may need to travel to a library just to apply, and can miss out on roles by not being able to respond quickly.
- Essential services: booking GP appointments, managing Universal Credit claims, or contacting the DWP often means queuing on the phone for hours or travelling to a jobcentre in person, rather than sorting it in minutes online.
- Cost of living: without the internet, people can’t compare prices, use discount codes, or find the cheapest energy and broadband tariffs — so exclusion often means paying more while having less.
- Social contact: staying in touch with family and friends, especially those living further away, becomes harder and more expensive, cutting people off from support that’s important for their wellbeing.
