Editorial: Digital literacy critical for all homes

Simon Waters

IT BEGAN here in 2006 ... Whanganui was one of a handful of early adopters of a new, bold scheme to make sure people were not left behind by the digital revolution.

As clunky computers with big, bulbous screens gave way to sleeker ones, Computers In Homes was there buying up old machines, sprucing them up and putting them in homes where the daily decision was not which flash new computer to buy but whether the parents could afford to sneak a packet of chips into the kids' lunch boxes.

Around 1000 financially struggling families in the Whanganui district have had technology introduced into their lives as a result of a lot of behind-the-scenes blood, sweat and tears.

But now the Computers In Homes programme is to be wound up in June -- whether or not there will be a replacement has yet to be decided.

But we are told there are still 66,000 families in New Zealand who do not have an internet connection, or a device to use it with -- or, more importantly, the skills to know how to put it to good use.

What is not clear is if that number includes the many seniors out there who have none of those things either, and who are becoming increasingly disenfranchised because of it.

There are seniors in our community who have been highly distressed over the census test because they have been unable to complete it online, and they were not sent any forms to do it otherwise.

Our seniors treat things like the census as a duty and are left frustrated and confused why they are being overlooked in such ways.

The banks are threatening to stop chequebooks.

Again this strikes fear into the minds of many.

Computers In Homes -- and programmes like it -- should exist to reach out to those who are being left behind.

There is much truth in the saying that digital literacy is as important as literacy in today's modern world.

And our track record with the latter has not been exemplary.