Existing inequality
With nearly 5 billion computers in circulation worldwide and as many mobile phones as people, the challenge of digital transformation is not just technological, but also cultural and social. While the young ‘digital native’ generation has grown up with digital technology and mastered the tools with disconcerting ease, the same cannot be said for the entire population.
This divide is geographical, linked to age and family situation, as well as to levels of education and income. According to INSEE (the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies), 17% of the French population is affected by digital illiteracy, i.e. 17% of the population does not have access to the Internet, does not have computer equipment or does not know how to use new technologies. According to the same study, 38% of users lack digital skills in at least one of the following areas: finding information, communicating, using software, etc.
Against this backdrop of fast-paced digital transformation, the government must not only guarantee access to public services for all, but also ensure the widespread and comprehensive dissemination of digital culture.
Digital technology is an integral part of our daily lives, and everyone should be able to take part in the adventure, whether they are a digital native, a senior citizen, an executive in the heart of a metropolis or a farmer in a rural area.
Everyone is affected
While digital technology can make everyday life easier, it is also essential for maintaining social links and keeping businesses running. In the future, digital technology will be used across the board for access to healthcare and finance. We will all have a digital identity. Doing anything at all will require access to and proficiency in digital tools.
Every citizen must, therefore, have the same opportunities, and no one must be left by the wayside if we are to embrace a successful digital future.
Digital education: a priority
One of the pillars of digital transformation will be education. Our children are the present. They need to grow up mastering the digital tools that they are and will be required to use and develop. They are also the future, and they must approach it with the knowledge and key skills that will be a lever for their social and economic inclusion. Failure to master digital skills will lead to marginalisation with far-reaching consequences.
Digital inclusion, therefore, means integrating all schoolchildren. Acting to boost digital skills is a prerequisite for the development of a high-performing, humane and sustainable digital society.
This digital future will incorporate the essential dimensions of social inclusion, diversity and environmental protection.
Millennials, who have mastered the tools at their disposal to perfection, are also very socially engaged. They aspire to a quest for meaning. Concerned about more environmentally-friendly and responsible consumption, ecology makes sense for our fellow citizens and the younger generations.
While the government has a key role to play, we must collectively give meaning to this digital transition by using it to meet the challenges of ecology and inclusion.
Integrating these elements into our corporate dynamic, our philosophy, our management, our innovation strategy, our communication and our various commitments, is a moral obligation.
While digital technology is a forward-looking field with many opportunities, it will also be a vehicle for inclusion.
