Technology can work wonders. It can speed up work processes and connect people from opposite sides of the world. “All this is possible only if one knows how to use the technology,” warns Charalambos Vrasidas of CARDET.
Digital skills are becoming more and more essential in everyday life, and although the youngest generations – the so-called digital natives – seem to be more at ease with the virtual rather than the real world, that’s not the case for everyone.
“When it comes to elderly people, adults with disabilities or adults from marginalised social groups, technology can pose serious risks that could have the opposite effect of further isolating individuals and having a negative impact on their mental health,” explains Charalambos Vrasidas, co-founder and Executive Director of CARDET, a Cyprus-based international non-profit research organisation. He co-authored a report about digital wellbeing in Europe by the pan-European association All Digital.
“We have a long way to go until we reach a point where people have equal access to online tools,” Charalambos Vrasidas says. Photo: Charalambos Vrasidas.
Their research found that while on one hand digital devices can help people – including the most disadvantaged – to feel more connected to their peers, “the generational digital gap that they experience, as well as the lack of knowledge and know-how can actually make them feel marginalised and excluded from the virtual world where many interactions take place nowadays.”
Navigating the digital world: risks and potential
This does not only apply to elderly people who don’t have a smartphone or live in remote rural areas, it’s also about adults who struggle to grasp the full spectrum of possibilities and risks associated with digital devices, or who fail to harness their full potential.
Firstly, Vrasidas is worried about the issue of privacy and data security. While in the past few years there have been heated debates about how big corporations – including social media giants like Meta – use the public’s private information, not all adults are aware of this danger.
“Being able to filter through notifications, making a judgement on whether to click on something or not, and knowing what to share or keep private are incredibly important decisions to make. But if people are not educated on how to make these choices, technology could become risky,” he says.
If people are not educated on how to make choices related to data security, technology could become risky.
Secondly, another fundamental aspect to take into consideration when it comes to digital wellbeing is full, democratic access to technology for people with disabilities. New screen-reading software, vibrating alarm clocks and face-to-face dual keyboard communication systems represent just a few examples of how technology can enhance people’s access to social life. In some instances, they have helped dismantle barriers that historically discriminated against individuals with disabilities.
For example, the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), a United Nations agency, revealed that over one billion people currently need assistive technology, while assistive technologies are increasingly integrated with consumer goods.
“However, the reality is that not everyone has access to or can effectively utilise these tools. People with disabilities often face challenges in accessing the same range of technologies as non-disabled individuals. Consequently, technology has the potential to exacerbate these inequalities rather than mitigate them. We have a long way to go until we reach a point where people with different kinds of disabilities can have equal access to both online tools and at work,” Vrasidas explains.
Digital skills in digitalised workplaces
The work environment is one of the contexts in which people with low digital skills face the most discrimination. As research suggests that 90% of jobs now require digital skills, the European Commission has published the European Digital Competence Framework for Citizens (DigComp), which includes digital health and well-being among its 21 core competences. But are these EU work standards upheld? As is often the case, the situation varies from country to country.
“Nordic countries tend to have more adult education programs and projects that succeed in providing tools for learners to thrive in the digital world, while southern Mediterranean countries lag behind,” continues Vrasidas.
He explains that, with around 40% of Europe’s adults lacking basic digital skills (such as turning a computer on, doing a Google search or sending an email), approximately half of the jobs in the next three to five years will need serious re-skilling.
What will become of those who do not possess these digital skills? How will they be able to navigate an increasingly technology-driven world, without suffering from the risks of a hyper-connected reality?
Digital wellbeing through adult education
Adult education could be the answer, but the solution is not as straightforward as it might seem.
“When it comes to adult education, the picture is extremely fragmented. Anyone can call themselves an adult educator and often there are no specific certifications for this. If we don’t maintain the quality standards and we don’t make sure that teachers are sufficiently equipped to help others navigate the digital world, the benefits could be reduced,” says Vrasidas.
If we don’t make sure that teachers are sufficiently equipped to help others in the digital world, the benefits could be reduced.
Just as parents are often unequipped to safeguard their children’s digital wellbeing – as they often lack the digital competences that children and younger people tend to master – similarly, enhancing teachers’ knowledge, skills, and abilities could empower them to improve their practice, stay updated with the latest teaching methodologies and ultimately offer more effective and impactful teaching.
Vrasidas believes countries need to invest more in life-long learning projects.
“Only then will we see the benefits,” he says.
Digital wellbeing risks in the workplace
When considering the risks of an increasingly digital world, we often focus on concerns regarding data privacy, individuals lacking technological skills, and media literacy. However, the digital work environment also poses serious threats to workers’ wellbeing, a topic that is often overlooked.
One of the harmful aspects identified in the report that Vrasidas co-authored is the idea of constant connectivity. While this is often seen as a benefit, it is fundamental for workers to find a healthy work-life balance and claim their “right to disconnect”.
“Encouraging breaks, establishing clear boundaries for after-hours communication, and promoting a culture of respect for personal time are essential elements of fostering a healthy work-life balance,” states the report.
Information overload, increased expectations on productivity and repeated changes of practices and methodologies in the digital workplace can lead to stress, burnout and mental health issues for employees. The experts claim that “empowering employees with digital literacy and skills is crucial for their wellbeing in the digital workplace”.
Charalambos Vrasidas
Charalambos Vrasidas is co-founder and Executive Director of CARDET, an international non-profit research and development organisation based in Cyprus with partners from around the world. He is a Professor of Learning Innovations & Policy and Associate Dean for e-learning at the University of Nicosia. He has conducted research and published extensively in the areas of adult education, digital learning, and education policy.
A lifelong learner, teacher, researcher, innovator and social entrepreneur, he led the design and implementation of more than 400 initiatives and projects in more than 40 countries.
His team coordinated the development of the Cyprus lifelong learning Strategy 2021-2027, in partnership with the European Association for the Education of Adults (EAEA) and the Cyprus Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth (MoECSY).
DigComp 2.2
Originally published in 2013, the European Digital Competence Framework for Citizens (DigComp) is periodically updated. In 2022, the framework aimed at supporting the development of digital competences, including digital health and wellbeing.
Among other factors, DigComp 2.2 focuses on mitigating risks and threats to physical and psychological wellbeing associated with the use of digital tools, while also recognising the potential of digital technologies in advancing social wellbeing and promoting social inclusion.
One fundamental aspect of the framework is its rejection of the notion that digital technologies are inherently harmful. Nonetheless, both the framework and Vrasidas himself caution against the risks associated with users lacking the necessary competences.
