digital readiness: everything is a technology company but not everyone is ready
TRANSCRIPT
Don’t be a ToolEverything is a Technology Company but Not Everyone is Ready
#bcnXtool
October 15, 2016
Ivory Tower Digital Tower
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Digital Readiness: Skills
“Skills necessary to initiate an online session, surf the internet and share content online.”
0% 20% 40% 60%
Very
Somewhat
Only a litte
Not at all
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A Reality Check is Overdue
• 46% say they are only somewhat, a little or not at all confident in their digital skills
• 46% say the statement below describes them very well or somewhat well:
“When I get a new electronic device I usually need someone else to set it up or
show me how to use it.”
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…and that’s just the hardware
Huge implications for adults with limited education – high school or lower – in:
• Job seeking
• Learning for work or personal enrichment
• Social connections
• Health care access
• Mobile health app use
• Accessing public services and benefits
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Tech Use by Education
0% 50% 100%
Smart phone
Home broadband
Internet use
All
H.S. diploma
<High School
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Job Seeking Skills: A SnapshotNOT EASY TO… EMPLOYED UNEMPLOYED
Contact potential employers by email
9% 19%
Fill out application online 10% 22%
Find available local jobs online
10% 19%
Find online programs and services for job seekers
8% 19%
Create a professional resume
14% 28%
Highlight skills on social media
19% 27%
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Smart Phones Not the Panacea
• 13% of adults have smartphone but no broadband
• 15% have limited online options other than their phone
• 7% are totally “smart phone dependent”
• 15% of young adults
• 13% in poor income households
• 12% of African Americans
• 13 of Latinos
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Among U.S. job seekers using smartphones...TASK % WHO HAD
PROBLEMS
Accessing content that didn’t displayproperly
47%
Reading non-mobile optimized job content
47%
Entering a large amount of text 38%
Submitting required files or supporting docs
37%
Saving or bookmarking jobs for later 23%
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So what can we do?
Start here:
DON’T MOCK
or ROLL YOUR EYES
or SNICKER
or JUDGE
Your “baseline” is far from universal.
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Reach Across the Divide
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Give the Gift of Time
1 hour of Tech Help• Device, software or task
• Judgment-free
assistance
• Patience guaranteed
• Option to renew
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Become a Tech Ambassador
Offer BASIC lunch-and-learn or coffee-and-learn or beer/wine and learn sessions and help desks at:
• Your employer
• Coffee shops
• Workplace development centers
• Libraries and churches
• Community and senior centers
• Community ed programs
• Family visits
Go outside your zone of comfort.
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Examples of “Basics”
• Password creation, security and storage
• FB and Instagram use, privacy settings, private groups
• What is “the cloud,” really?
• What extensions mean; why they matter
• Creating a resume
• Uploading a resume
• Setting up profiles with health providers
• Accessing public library assets online
• Setting up useful smart phone apps
• Using Google Apps
• eLearning sites
• LinkedIn profile
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What if…
BarCamp Nashville expanded its mission to a year-round series of Help Desks for areas and populations with low digital literacy?
We went beyond hack-a-thons to help-a-thons focused on adults?
We took basic tech skills to the real people who may need it the most?
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Challenge: Be an AGENT OF CHANGE
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Thank You!
• @ContentRocks
• pcoyle (at) content-connects (dot) com
• 615-445-2333
• http://content-connects.com/
• https://content-connects.com/content-audits-special/
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Sources
Pew Digital Readiness Gaps (September 2016)http://www.pewinternet.org/2016/09/20/digital-readiness-gaps/
Pew Internet and Job Seeking (November 2015)http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/11/19/1-the-internet-and-job-seeking/
Pew Lifelong Learning and Technology (March 2016)http://www.pewinternet.org/2016/03/22/lifelong-learning-and-technology/
NY Times Interview with FCC Head on Digital Divide (June 2016)
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/09/technology/the-challenges-of-closing-the-digital-divide.html?_r=0
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