A map made by Reddit user u/LupusLycas went viral in 2015 because it showed how many Europeans had never used a computer, something that most people rarely consider. The map illustrates the digital divide in contemporary Europe by showcasing the vast differences between nations using official data from Eurostat.
A glaring disparity can be seen on the map: Turkey had over 45% of its people who had never used a computer, compared to less than 10% in Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands.
This discrepancy is caused by a number of factors. A sizable section of the population in some countries is elderly and may not have had any exposure to computers during their working lives. For example, older generations in Bulgaria and Italy are less likely to have used digital technologies because they grew up during periods of economic hardship and limited educational opportunities.
Divides between urban and rural areas also come into play. Major cities frequently had access to digital infrastructure and training before rural areas did, leaving some rural areas lacking in both skills and access. For instance, in Turkey, rural areas’ adoption of digital tools has been slowed by traditional lifestyles and unequal regional development.
Progress Since 2015?
Europe has seen an improvement in digital access since 2015. The European Union has taken a number of steps to close the digital divide, including the establishment of more than 200 European Digital Innovation Hubs to support digital transformation across regions and the Digital Decade Policy Programme, which aims for 80% of people aged 16 to 74 to have at least basic digital skills by 2030.
In addition, the European Regional Development Fund set aside more than €14 billion for digital investments from 2014 to 2020, with an emphasis on boosting digital skills, extending broadband networks, and assisting with digitalization in rural and isolated regions.
There are still issues in spite of these efforts. According to the European Parliament, inequalities still exist among member states, with roughly half of the elderly and less educated populations not regularly using the internet.
