Get Online Week 2024: Supporting Australians to overcome barriers to digital inclusion

New research reveals cost pressures, technology anxiety and lack of support are peventing Aussies from getting online, with more than half feeling uncomfortable keeping up with changes

In fact, there’s growing concerns surrounding technological advancements, with one third worried about AI’s long-term impact and one in fve struggling to stay safe online

To help Australians build confdence and adapt to the digital landscape, Good Things Australia is encouraging gthose in need to participate in one of hundreds of free digital skills events during this year’s Get Online Week (14-20 October)

As the digital world evolves rapidly, issues such as cost pressures, technology anxiety, lack of support, and online safety concerns are preventing people from utilising the internet and technology, with new research revealing more than half (59%) of Australians feel uncomfortable keeping up with technological advancements. To help people build the skills they need to navigate an increasingly digital society with confdence, community-led initiative

Get Online Week 2024 (14-20 October) is providing vital support through hundreds of free digital skills events across the country.

Good Things Australia’s new report ‘Australian Attitudes to Getting Online 2024’, highlights the growing concern about the digital divide. One in fve (19%) Australians say they struggle to stay safe online, and over half (52%) are worried that scams are becoming increasingly diffcult to detect. Additionally, a third (33%) are concerned about the long-term impact of Artifcial Intelligence (AI) on their daily lives.

This year’s Get Online Week aims to tackle these challenges head on by offering hundreds of free local events, supporting Australians to improve their digital literacy, which since its inception, has helped over 100,000 people.

Jess Wilson, CEO of Good Things Australia, says “The speed of technological change can be daunting for even the most tech-savvy, so it’s no wonder those lacking confdence in their digital skills are nervous about keeping up with the constant changes. I encourage anyone who is looking for support to reach out for help.”

The new research also highlights cost pressures as another key barrier to digital inclusion, with half (49%) of Australians’ ability to get online being impacted by cost-ofliving. Additionally, 14% of Australians are is closing the digital divide, and in doing so, it’s helping build stronger, more connected communities across the country,” adds Wilson. In addition to individual benefts such as learning something new and expanding struggling to pay their internet or phone bills, and one in fve (18%) must choose between paying for internet access and other essentials like food and housing. For these Australians, access to the internet is not just a convenience but a necessity.

“The research highlights just how much Australians value feeling safe and confdent online. During Get Online Week, participants don’t just learn how to use the internet, they learn how to protect themselves and their loved ones from scams and other digital threats. The initiative online skills, there are signifcant economic advantages to closing the digital divide. According to Good Things Australia’s ‘Economic Benefts of Overcoming Digital Exclusion’ report, almost half a billion dollars in annual benefts could be realised if appropriate training and fnancial support are delivered to those people who are highly digitally excluded in Australia.

Greater digital inclusion could generate AU$28.5 million annually through improved fnancial safety. Additionally, providing training on managing online risks could help reduce fraud and scams, which currently affect 8% of Australians.

With hundreds of Get Online Week events taking place nationwide, Australians of all ages and backgrounds will have the opportunity to boost their digital skills in a welcoming and supportive environment. These events focus on practical tasks such as booking healthcare appointments, paying bills, using government services, and staying connected with family and friends. The goal is to give people the confdence they need to navigate the online world and access essential services.

“What makes Get Online Week so special is the sense of community it fosters. Whether it’s seniors learning to video call family members or job seekers gaining digital skills to improve their employment prospects, these small but meaningful actions have the power to transform lives. Ultimately, Get Online Week is helping create a more inclusive and digitally savvy Australia,” concludes Wilson.

Good Things Australia continues to lead the charge in promoting digital inclusion, with the support of more than 4,000 community organisations nationwide. These organisations are on the frontline, delivering digital skills programs through Get Online Week and beyond. By improving digital literacy, Australians are not only building confdence in their online abilities, but also enhancing their social connections and long-term wellbeing. For more information or to fnd an event, please visit https:// goodthingsaustralia. org/get-online-week or call 1300 795 897.

“PSYCHOLOGY”, once said Karl Kraus, “is a bus that accompanies an airplane.” Which is a sentiment that has occurred to me, in not quite the sardonically succinct way in which Kraus noted, but in a way that somehow captures the disconnect, albeit the clumsy, knowit-all, spluttering way in which psychology is ‘practiced’, and more often than not, left far behind in the real time of life itself.

Nothing against this field of study, because like all fields there are such rich seams of knowledge and understanding to be gleaned by anyone with an open mind. While the ‘logic of souls’, which is what the word ‘psychology’ translates via its ancient Greek heritage; it is not what I’d like to focus on.

Analysis itself, is what captures my intrigue, it is the tarmac, if you will, that enables the airplane of fathoming to either take off, or simply go round in circles on the ground.

Being near-on a quarter of a century since I earned my degree in Social Analysis, and subsequently, the ink on this document is definitely not still wet; but over the years I have come to often reflect on how careful people like myself need to be, so as to not delude ourselves that we have all the answers. As the German sage of observance himself, Friederich Nietzsche once chimed, “There are no facts, only interpretations.” And minus a good dose of an awareness that there will always be so much that each of us may never comprehend, interpretations can not only be grossly distorting, but downright