With the introduction of COVID-19 restrictions, much of contemporary life moved online. This case study considers how these restrictions and the associated digital transformation of all facets of life has impacted how Australians use the internet. The data at this stage suggests that, while some important gains in internet use are evident across all groups, the impact of initial COVID-19 restrictions in 2020 seems to have reinforced many of the existing contours of digital inclusion and exclusion.
Impact / Outcome
Most importantly, the impact of COVID-19 on how Australians accessed and used the internet, and the impact of this use in terms of skills, was distributed unevenly across the population. Where 80% of highly included Australians increased their time spent online, only 42% of highly excluded Australians did the same. This same pattern is evident across all questions, demonstrating that although COVID-19 might be a driver of digital transformation, it will not necessarily prove to have been a significant driver of digital inclusion.
Year published
24 August 2021