It’s a Friday afternoon and working from the local library seemed like a nice idea to get a change of scenery and be surrounded by people from the neighbourhood. But today, the library didn’t just provide a nice working space filled with big windows and books, it also shed light on the inequities of digital access in society.
I was sitting at a large, wooden table fit for eight. An older gentleman arrived across from me. He unpacked a dusty black Acer computer, accompanied by a USB-connected mouse and a full-size Logitech keyboard. He seemed confused as he sat down to connect to the internet. Accessing the Wi-Fi here involves entering your telephone number, receiving an SMS and inputting the code back into the computer to log-in. Step-by-step posters of how to connect are spread across the room. As a reasonably tech-savvy person, I even found this process perplexing the first time I did it.
He asked the table, “How do I connect?” Someone went to help him, explaining that he needs to enter his phone number to receive the code. The man revealed his predicament: “I don’t have a telephone.”
“Oh, I’m not sure what to do then,” the person helping said. The system of connecting to the internet in the public library operates under the assumption that everyone has a phone and that it is capable of receiving SMS (in addition to the person being able to navigate multiple steps across two digital devices).
The system of connecting to the internet in the public library operates under the assumption that everyone has a phone
He was next advised to seek help at the service desk. A staff member came to help him, but again they ran into the roadblock of not having a telephone number. She seemed stumped and walked back to her colleagues to problem solve for 10-15 minutes.
In the meantime, the man grabbed a newspaper and dove into the crossword puzzle at the back…
Ultimately, he was never able to connect to the internet.
This occurred in Amsterdam, a city colloquially dubbed “Silicon Canals,” where digital efficiency reigns supreme, so much so that physical cash is rarely accepted at local businesses and cafes. The city caters to those well-versed in technology, excluding a portion of its population.
We cannot forget about those who are not digitally savvy or those who do not use digital technologies at all due to choice, access or otherwise. Approximately 60% of the world’s population remains unconnected to the internet or does not utilise personal digital devices. In an age of generative AI, virtual reality headsets and ubiquitous smartphones, I urge all designers to think about who they are designing for and who they are leaving out. And better yet – go talk to them.
By Katy Barnard
(Stby previously worked on a project looking at new ways of helping people with low digital skills through the use of AI. Read more about the project here and here.)