There is a digital divide which continues to have a negative impact on residents across Glasgow, with digital inclusion being essential to bridging that gap.

There is a gap between those who find it easy or affordable to engage online, and those who don’t.

Digital exclusion is more likely to affect people aged over 65 years old as well as disabled people.

Poverty has a significant impact on digital access and skills. Digital exclusion can also make it harder to get out of poverty.

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Many people rely on friends, family and their workplace for digital skills support.

Residents can experience being unable to access or afford a suitable device or sufficient data connectivity. They can lack all or some of the skills to engage online safely and confidently.

This includes the critical skills to understand and manage digital risks and avoid scams. It may seem that there is a lack of support to learn new things and not enough help when it is needed.

In a digital age, we need to ensure that residents can access a suitable device to be digitally included. To be able to engage online requires an internet connection and data. People need to benefit from personal or household access to both mobile and broadband. Connectivity needs to also provide reliability and quality of service provision.

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Due to the digital divide, people need further help to become digitally included – whether it is with basic access and skills, to keep up with change or to use online services.

As employers continue using emerging technologies to benefit their business practices, residents with knowledge of and experience with digital tools may have an easier time performing necessary job duties.

Learning about digital skills can help people to complete various tasks and improve efficiency in the workplace.

As businesses integrate more automated systems to simplify and organise their activities, residents with a deeper knowledge of digital tools may be more valuable employees to employers.

Having digital skills is also essential to keep up with the increasing popularity of virtual collaboration, online commerce and remote working. E-commerce has become an essential part of the economy.

The internet is being used increasingly across all areas of life. We can encourage uptake of free courses through local colleges or libraries.

Studying online videos, blogs and other resources can develop basic digital skills.

Through provision of services to develop people’s digital skills, we can promote the benefits of being online and help residents to overcome any barriers to getting involved.

We need to address the people’s experience of learning to use the internet held back by worries about the cost of living.

There are residents who are being left behind as more services move online and reliance on digital technology increases.

We have to champion development of services to engage people who are digitally excluded, providing more informal, practical support to reduce digital barriers across the city. The provision of friendly, local, trusted support in places where people already go, including libraries, community centres and community cafes is vital.