Digital Poverty Research Articles

Reconsidering government digital strategies within the context of digital inequalities: the case of the UK Digital Strategy

AbstractIn this paper, we critically examine the 2022 UK Digital Strategy and argue that the UK government adopts with this policy document a customer-centric vision of governance, which undermines the traditional role of the government as a provider of public services with principles of justice and impartiality. This shift, exacerbated by digital poverty, appears incongruent with the social contract between citizens and the state. We employ a critical discourse analysis to identify contradictory outcomes resulting from these neoliberal policies and showcase that the UK Digital Strategy, while seemingly committed to aspects of equality and inclusivity, appear to prioritise almost entirely market rather than citizens’ interests.

AI for chemistry teaching: responsible AI and ethical considerations

Abstract This paper discusses the ethical considerations surrounding generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in chemistry education, aiming to guide teachers toward responsible AI integration. GenAI, driven by advanced AI models like Large Language Models, has shown substantial potential in generating educational content. However, this technology’s rapid rise has brought forth ethical concerns regarding general and educational use that require careful attention from educators. The UNESCO framework on GenAI in education provides a comprehensive guide to controversies around generative AI and ethical educational considerations, emphasizing human agency, inclusion, equity, and cultural diversity. Ethical issues include digital poverty, lack of national regulatory adaptation, use of content without consent, unexplainable models used to generate outputs, AI-generated content polluting the internet, lack of understanding of the real world, reducing diversity of opinions, and further marginalizing already marginalized voices and generating deep fakes. The paper delves into these eight controversies, presenting relevant examples from chemistry education to stress the need to evaluate AI-generated content critically. The paper emphasizes the importance of relating these considerations to chemistry teachers’ content and pedagogical knowledge and argues that responsible AI usage in education must integrate these insights to prevent the propagation of biases and inaccuracies. The conclusion stresses the necessity for comprehensive teacher training to effectively and ethically employ GenAI in educational practices.

Ableism and adaptive preferences in digital uses and skills: Social and cultural conditioning factors

This theoretical paper aims to highlight interactions between ableism and adaptive preferences that involve persons with disability with the purpose of identifying social and ideological conditioning factors in using digital media and developing digital skills. These factors encompass the availability of resources for accessing and using digital media as enabling tools capable of generating positive outcomes at an economic, social, political/civic, cultural and personal levels. Giving that digitalization processes encompass concepts of citizenship, autonomy, individual capabilities and social capital, then digital media and skills become crucial tools for equalizing opportunities and reducing inequalities. The pandemic emergency and the shift to distance learning revealed forms of digital education poverty that had a specific impact for persons with disability. Analysing the digital disability divide and inequality requires considering technological and economic variables, Universal Design principles, as well as social stratification, cultural influences, and material and symbolic resources. Digital inequalities and adaptive preferences are thus examined in their relations with social, cultural and ideological aspects that may affect expressed and perceived needs, attribution of meanings, motivation and aims which, in turn, affect access and usage of digital media as well as the development of digital skills. Taking into account these factors and their interconnections, the contribution aims to provide some guidelines for further future research aimed at deepening the socio-technical, cultural, and ideological matrices of digital inequalities affecting persons with disabilities.

Challenges in Achieving Consensus on Data Localization: Digital Inequality of Digital Service Trade

The disagreements on data localization policies significantly hamper the progression of digital service trade and free cross-border data flow. This study adopts the Theory of Comparative Advantage and the Heckscher-Ohlin Theory (H-O Theory) to construct an analytical model that investigates the inequality of digital service trade on the well-being of nations and the valuation of digital factors. Our findings suggest that digital service trade exacerbates the terms of trade for developing countries. In an environment of unrestricted data flow, developed countries capitalize on the data resources from developing nations, thereby augmenting their digital comparative advantages and factor endowments. The dynamics foster a state of digital inequality or digital poverty, where late-developing countries are disadvantaged in keeping pace with their developed counterparts. Notably, data localization, while seemingly a protective measure for developing countries, may not be the optimal strategy. It potentially undermines the overall well-being of all participants by diminishing network effects. The paper argues that the path towards the liberalization of digital trade and data flows will be a lengthy and complex one, demanding concerted international efforts to overcome entrenched trade barriers.

Revolutionizing Care: Unleashing the Potential of Digital Health Technology in Physiotherapy Management for People With Cystic Fibrosis.

This viewpoint paper explores the dynamic intersection of physiotherapy and digital health technologies (DHTs) in enhancing the care of people with cystic fibrosis (CF), in the context of advancements such as highly effective modulator therapies that are enhancing life expectancy and altering physiotherapy needs. The role of DHTs, including telehealth, surveillance, home monitoring, and activity promotion, has expanded, becoming crucial in overcoming geographical barriers and accelerated by the recent pandemic. Physiotherapy, integral to CF care since 1946, has shifted toward patient-centered approaches, emphasizing exercise training and a physically active lifestyle. The reduction in inpatient admissions due to highly effective modulator therapies has led to increased home care and online or electronic consultations, and DHTs have revolutionized service delivery, offering flexibility, self-management, and personalized care options; however, there is a need to comprehensively understand user experiences from both people with CF and physiotherapists. This paper highlights the essential exploration of user experiences to facilitate clinician adaptation to the digital requirements of modern clinical management, ensuring equitable care in the "future hospitals" arena. Identifying research gaps, this paper emphasizes the need for a thorough evaluation of DHT use in CF physiotherapy education, training, and self-monitoring, as well as the experiences of people with CF with online or electronic consultations, self-monitoring, and remote interventions. Online group exercise platforms address historical challenges relating to infection control but necessitate comprehensive evaluations of user experiences and preferences. Future-proofing DHTs within the physiotherapy management of CF demands a shift toward full integration, considering stakeholder opinions and addressing barriers. While DHTs have the potential to extend physiotherapy beyond the hospital, this paper stresses the importance of understanding user experiences, addressing digital poverty, and working toward more equitable health care access. A flexible approach in the "future hospital" is advocated, emphasizing the need for a nuanced understanding of user preferences and experiences to optimize the integration of DHTs in CF care.

Digital Economy and Poverty Reduction in Africa: The Role of Governance Quality

Digital Economy and Poverty Reduction in Africa: The Role of Governance Quality

Nursing students' engagement in online learning.

Reliance on digital technology may have implications for our social and economic wellbeing, including factors such as health, environmental quality, social interaction, and educational levels. Although there may be concerns, it is important to acknowledge that digital technology also offers immediate, cost-effective and accessible solutions that are transforming various services. The COVID-19 pandemic, through the disruption of educational systems worldwide, has accelerated the transformation of higher education, leading to changes in the way it is perceived. However, there is a lack of understanding regarding the relationship between digital poverty, digital literacy, and students' online experiences. This article aims to explore the engagement of nursing students in online learning post COVID.

The Digital Divide and Poverty in Developing Countries: Evidence from Farm Households in Niger

The Digital Divide and Poverty in Developing Countries: Evidence from Farm Households in Niger

Digital technologies, poverty and microfinance in developing countries

PurposeThe objective of this study is to examine the moderating effect of microfinance on the digital divide in developing countries.Design/methodology/approachOn the methodology, the econometric method employed to estimate the equation is based on the two-stage least squares (2SLS).FindingsThis study confirms that microfinance can play an important role in mitigating the adverse effect of digitalization on poverty.Research limitations/implicationsThus, governments should prioritize and encourage the integration of digital technologies with robust microfinance systems to effectively combat poverty, given the importance of microfinance.Originality/valueGiven the importance of digital technology to businesses and economic development, we need to search for a better solution that allows digital technology to be further developed but at the same time, is not harmful to the poor. The issue of the poor, either financially or technically can be partially resolved if the poor is given the necessary and sufficient assistance. Therefore, this paper examines whether microfinance can be part of solutions to the digital divide in developing countries.

Technology: Limited or Infinite?

With the advent of the internet, robotics, and artificial intelligence, the world of the internet is undergoing a tremendous technological revolution that is altering human society at a rate never seen before. P2P networking and computing have become so widespread that communities with close to 60 million members regularly engage. Due to the extensive influence of the internet on culture and society, it is imperative to adjust to the ever-evolving terrain. Kelly argues that technology growth follows a developmental curve independent of human or socioeconomic circumstances, drawing comparisons between it and biological evolution. Based on Moore's law, which claims that chip computer performance doubles every three years and increases exponentially, Ray Kurzweil's theory forecasts future technological growth. Calling this “the age of spiritual machines,” he projects that by 2029, machines will be more advanced than people. The rapid and powerful development of AI has led to the emergence of LLM models, allowing for the simulation and training of different areas of human cognition at high speeds. Human civilization, culture, and brain anatomy will change as a result of the introduction of new media and techniques. The rule of accelerating returns enables us to predict potential developments in the upcoming years since technology may free up human labor, and society ought to benefit from it rather than be constrained by it. The AI era is heading toward the emancipation of all limitations, even while it poses hazards like cybercrime, the digital gap, poverty, unemployment, energy crises, sustainability issues, and financial risks. We can anticipate a different and more optimistic world if we examine “what technology wants” and the law of accelerating returns.

Digital Market: Tool for Poverty Alleviation

This study delves into the intricate relationship between digital market solutions and poverty alleviation, specifically focusing on underserved communities in the global South. The persistent poverty traps prevalent in these regions necessitate integrated interventions that foster economic inclusion, sustainable livelihoods, and self-sufficient prosperity. The advent of digital technology adoption presents an infrastructure connectivity and widespread mobile unprecedented opportunity to overcome traditional barriers and uplift marginalized populations. The study argues that digital connectivity serves as a powerful vehicle for empowerment, dissolving geographical barriers and facilitating access to essential information, financial tools, and employment opportunities. It advocates for a market-based approach that recognizes the inherent talents for enterprise within impoverished communities, empowering individuals to direct solutions that meaningfully improve their circumstances. The digital divide dilemma is addressed, acknowledging that the impact data often focuses on those with basic digital literacy, leaving out those at the extreme margins without access to mobile phones or the internet. Design misalignment issues, including language barriers and cumbersome interfaces, are highlighted as potential obstacles to the effectiveness of digital interventions. The study emphasizes the importance of capacity building and localization, advocating for skills training and leadership development within communities to enable them to direct solutions aligned with their priorities. In conclusion, the study asserts that thoughtfully developed digital platforms have the potential to disrupt endemic poverty cycles. However, realizing this potential requires equitable access policies, sustained design optimizations, and participatory capacity building

Tra povertà educativa digitale e competenze interculturali: il caso dei figli di coppie miste

Since 2021 the Research Center on Media, Innovation and Technology Education (Cremit) of the Catholic University and Save the Children has been proposing to use the new construct of ‘digital educational poverty’, which expands and updates the one of ‘digital divides’. This perspective is the basis of the “Digital Connections project” (2021-2024), which involved 99 schools integrating the fight against digital educational poverty into the civic education curriculum of the second and third year of middle school. Through the survey of the Digital Competence Score (PCD) submitted to 6.415 respondents in 2022-23, it emerges that the results of children of mixed couples are higher than those of children with both parents born abroad and of those with both parents born in Italy. From this perspective, the article proposes a focus on the children of mixed couples, identifying a socio-cultural photograph with attention to technological uses, and theorizes the elements of mutual enrichment between digital and intercultural competences, underlining the dynamism, the need for contextualization and the collective component of such literacies.

Digital Poverty in Sabah: Socioeconomic Factors Shaping Digital Accessibility During the Post-Covid-19 Era

Digital Poverty in Sabah: Socioeconomic Factors Shaping Digital Accessibility During the Post-Covid-19 Era

Key considerations when developing and implementing digital technology for early dementia detection

AbstractBackgroundThe World Health Organisation (WHO) promotes using digital technologies to accelerate global attainment of health and well‐being. This has resulted in an increase in research exploring how digital technology can be used to aid early detection of dementia and to support the successful implementation of new technology into healthcare systems, including the English National Health Service (NHS). We conducted a qualitative study to understand the key considerations amongst healthcare professionals (HCP) when developing and implementing digital technology for the early detection of dementia in the NHS.MethodWe recruited primary and secondary care HCPs from various NHS clinical networks. We explored participants’ views on early dementia detection, using digital technology to aid this approach, and any potential implementation challenges. An inductive thematic analysis approach was taken to identify themes using QSR N‐Vivo (Version 1.6.1). Themes were refined by the authors.ResultEighteen semi‐structured interviews were conducted with seven secondary and 11 primary care HCPs. Key themes included considerations for healthcare users and digital technology. Some healthcare professionals felt early detection of dementia would provide healthcare users with the opportunity to future‐plan, for example by “tak[ing] out lasting powers of attorney” (P3 Primary Care Physician (PCP)). Whilst others were concerned “if we’re now looking at screening people who don’t have symptoms, […] the waiting list for memory clinics [referring to secondary care] would dramatically increase” (P6 PCP) which could negativity affect healthcare users. The use of digital technology to aid early detection raised concerns surrounding health equity, to ensure that we are “not excluding people who already are in digital poverty” (P5 PCP). Many HCPs also felt it was important to consider how “dementias have different features” (P14 PCP), so they “would want a tool that tests different modalities” (P6 PCP) to help differentiate between diagnoses.ConclusionThese results will inform future research in developing and implementing digital technology for early dementia detection. Work is needed to explore how best to support patients receiving information about their early detection of dementia, and the HCPs involved in this process. Research is needed to develop digital inclusion strategies to promote health equity.

Digital Finance and Entrepreneurial Return Rate: Effects, Mechanisms and Inequality

This study matches the digital financial inclusion index with micro panel data from the China Household Finance Survey (CHFS) in 2015, 2017, and 2019, and explores the impact of digital finance on the return rate of entrepreneurship. The results show that the effect is positive—entrepreneurial households in prefectures with higher digital finance obtain higher return rates—and remarkably reliable to a battery of endogeneity and robustness tests. Mechanism analysis indicates that the positive effect of digital finance on the return rate of entrepreneurship is achieved mainly through facilitating external financing and reducing financial transaction costs. Further research finds that the spillover effect of digital finance has obvious Internet bias: the “digital dividend” only extends to the advantaged classes who have access to the Internet—non-rural and migrating rural entrepreneurs, but for non-migrating rural entrepreneurs generally facing digital exclusion, digital finance has little effect on their return rate. The empirical evidence presented in this study has important policy implications for accelerating the digital finance process, promoting high-quality entrepreneurship development, and boosting digital poverty groups to break stratum solidification.

Digital poverty in the COVID-19 crisis: Report of the response of a UK further education college library

The purpose of this article is to summarise the response of an academic library in the UK to digital poverty in the COVID-19 crisis. This focuses on the distribution of laptops and dongles to support learners access online sessions and resources. The article reports from the perspective of the Head of Library Service during the project. The article is a short communication which describes what the Library did to distribute equipment during the COVID-19 crisis, in response to a strategic shift to blended learning. The article highlights the effects of digital poverty on education and learning, and how the distribution of over 600 laptops helped address this in our context. The situation forced the Library to innovate with how it organised collections and to adapt our delivery to different groups. The Library worked to develop new ways to hold the data in a more robust way, in order to improve reporting and intelligence. The article presents evidence from learners on the impact of the project on them. The author acknowledges shortcomings in the initial stages of the project and offers some reflections. This was a complex project in a crisis which showcased the value and impact of a library in a crisis. The article highlights how the initial crisis response became part of business as usual when the crisis had passed.

How does digital economy affect energy poverty? Analysis from the global perspective

As an emerging engine of economy development, the potential impact of digital economy on energy poverty are worth to explore for alleviation. Using a balanced panel dataset of 61 countries, this study empirically examined the impact of digital economy on energy poverty and relative transmission mechanisms. Specifically, we first assess the digital economy and energy poverty level across the globe, and then explore whether the development of digital economy can help alleviate energy poverty. The heterogeneity and mediating roles in the digital economy-energy poverty nexus are also discussed. We conclude that: (1) Global energy poverty index shows a decreasing trend, and global digital economy index shows an increasing trend during the sample period. (2) There is a negative relationship between the digital economy and energy poverty, demonstrating that the development of the digital economy has a positive impact on energy poverty alleviation. In addition, the heterogeneity test results demonstrated that positive alleviation impacts exist in high-income countries, whereas middle-income countries experience negative impacts, and heterogeneities also exist in different regions. (3) The analysis of the mediation effects showed that government governance, economic growth, and urban development mediate the nexus of the digital economy on energy poverty. Based on the above findings, this study proposes several policy implications to reduce energy poverty.

PENGARUH ZAKAT DIGITAL TERHADAP PENGENTASAN KEMISKINAN DI ERA DIGITAL

This study aims to investigate the effect of digital zakat on poverty alleviation in the digital era. In the context of growing digitalization, digital zakat becomes an attractive alternative in the collection and distribution of zakat to help those in need. The research method involves searching and analyzing published literature, including scholarly articles, research reports, and books related to digital zakat and poverty alleviation. The data collected will be analyzed qualitatively by identifying key themes that emerge in the relevant literature. These themes will be used to compile research findings that will provide in-depth insights into the influence of digital zakat in alleviating poverty in the digital era. The results of this study show that digital zakat has significant potential in alleviating poverty in the digital era. One of the main advantages of digital zakat is the ease of access and transparency in the collection and distribution of zakat. Through digital platforms, individuals can easily collect and transfer their zakat directly to needy recipients. This reduces the cost and time involved in the traditional process of zakat collection and distribution. In addition, digital zakat also enables a more inclusive approach in alleviating poverty, with more individuals able to participate in giving zakat. This research contributes to the understanding of the effect of digital zakat on poverty alleviation in the digital era. The findings and recommendations from this research can serve as a guideline for zakat institutions, government, and other related organizations in designing and implementing effective digital zakat. It is hoped that this research can encourage further development and wider application of digital zakat for poverty alleviation in the future.

Experiences of acquired brain injury survivors participating in online and hybrid performance arts programmes: an ethnographic study

ABSTRACT Background Performance arts can benefit people with acquired brain injury (ABI). This study explored the online delivery during COVID-19 restrictions, of a performance art intervention through the experiences of participants, artists and facilitators. Methods Two community-based programmes were delivered. Online ethnographic observations and semi-structured interviews with participants, artists and facilitators were completed. Results The programmes benefited participants by addressing loneliness and isolation; building confidence through peer support; improving physical limitations through movement; improving communication through music and vocal work; and using poetry, visual arts, metaphor and performance to make sense of participants’ experiences. Participants had mixed experiences of participation, but it was an acceptable alternative to in-person arts interventions for those who overcame digital challenges. Conclusions ABI survivors can engage in online performance art programmes and find participation valuable for their health, well-being, and recovery. More work is needed to explore the generalisability of these findings, especially given digital poverty.

Beyond the Pandemic – Poverty and School Education in Scotland

Abstract The introduction of Universal Credit and the effects of the economic crisis precipitated by the Covid-19 pandemic, compounded by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, have all contributed to a rise in the levels of poverty and child poverty in Scotland and the wider United Kingdom. The rise in child poverty will have an impact on an increasing number of children and young people and their effective engagement with school education. This article presents a series of research findings and insights by leading researchers from Scottish Universities on key themes in Scottish education that were highly relevant in the pre-Covid and pre-war era, themes that will continue to be highly relevant in the forthcoming years. The themes are: Education in Local Child Poverty Action Reports; Digital Poverty and Education; School Uniform; Challenges for music education in Scotland and Teacher preparation for educational inclusion.