Abstract
Digitalization changes everyday patterns, work processes, and skill requirements necessary to avoid social deprivation and exclusion. Some individuals have lower digital competencies and struggle to adapt to technological changes. Therefore, digital divides have become an important issue in the transformation of society. Although access to ICTs is the initial and most apparent factor used to examine digital inequalities, there is a growing gap related to users’ motivation, capabilities, and skills to use ICT safely and confidently. The phenomenon is known as the second-level digital divide. Despite the advancements and efforts made by policymakers, a second-level digital divide still exists, whether referring to disparities between countries (the global digital divide) or within different groups in the population - the social and democratic digital divide. This study investigates how the digital skills of older adults (54-65 years) contribute to the digital divide among European countries. Data from the Eurostat database on the composite indicator, The Digital Skills Indicator 2.0 (DSI), is used to shed light on this question. Using the Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) method, Evaluation Based on Distance from Average Solution (EDAS), European countries were ranked based on the components of DSI for five specific digital skill areas. Since multidimensional scaling is used, the EDAS method has enabled the analysis of similarities and differences between European countries. The results highlight a digital divide and indicate significant variation in digital skills among European countries’ older population (54-65 years). Also, certain countries requiring specific attention and efforts to tackle digital challenges are singled out.
Presenters
Anđelka StojanovićAssistant Professor, Engineering Management Department, University of Belgrade, Technical Faculty in Bor, Bor, Serbia
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2024 Special Focus—Diversity Over Time: Changes in Individual, Organizational, and Place Contexts
KEYWORDS
Digital skills, Digital divide, Older adults, EDAS, European countries
