Overcoming the digital divide in Europe: Let’s learn from emerging countries!

Abstract

During the last decades Europe has witnessed a societal progress supported by the adoption of information technology in daily activities. Yet, 30 % of Europeans have never used the Internet and lack digital skills to perform tasks which are expected to be carried out online. Bridging that gap is one of the key goals of the European Research and Innovation programme, Horizon 2020 (H2020). Many developing countries are fighting against digital divide adopting successful strategies that rely on the use of mobile technology and smartphones to improve people’s quality of life. In this paper we suggest that similar strategies could be profitably adopted in European countries to capture the 30 % portion of illiterates. We therefore propose a community-oriented mobile interaction design methodology to enhance digital literacy and inclusion in Europe, starting from a deep understanding of target users and of their needs.