IoT Skill Gaps Exacerbate Digital Divide, Limiting User Benefits

Why It Matters

Designers must consider the diverse skill sets of potential users when developing IoT products. Failing to do so risks creating systems that are inaccessible to significant portions of the population, thereby widening existing societal divides.

Key Finding

The study found that while the Internet of Things (IoT) promises widespread benefits, these advantages are unevenly distributed due to differences in users' digital skills and access to resources, potentially leading to new forms of exclusion.

Key Findings

• IoT offers significant potential benefits across various sectors like energy, health, and transportation.
• The realization of these benefits is contingent upon individual users possessing specific digital skills and resources.
• Disparities in skills and resources lead to unequal access to IoT advantages, creating new forms of exclusion.
• The autonomous nature of many IoT devices belies a growing need for sophisticated user understanding and strategic engagement.

Research Evidence

Aim: How do differentiated skills and resources impact the equitable distribution of benefits from Internet of Things (IoT) technologies?

Method: Conceptual Analysis

Procedure: The research analyzes the evolution of digital technologies and their associated skill requirements, framing the IoT from a systems perspective to highlight its unique demands on user knowledge and strategic capabilities. It then synthesitsizes these insights with existing discussions on the digital divide.

Context: Internet of Things (IoT) technology adoption and societal impact.

Design Principle

Design for diverse digital literacy to ensure equitable access and benefit realization.

How to Apply

When designing any IoT product, conduct user research that specifically assesses digital literacy and identify potential barriers to adoption for less experienced users. Develop tiered support and educational resources.

Limitations

The paper focuses on the conceptual challenges and does not present empirical data on specific skill gaps or their direct measurement.

Student Guide (IB Design Technology)

Simple Explanation: The Internet of Things (IoT) is cool, but not everyone can use it easily. Some people have the skills and tools to benefit, while others are left behind, creating a new kind of digital divide.

Why This Matters: Understanding that not all users have the same digital skills is crucial for creating products that are truly useful and accessible to everyone, avoiding unintended negative consequences.

Critical Thinking: How can designers proactively design for the 'unskilled' user in complex IoT systems without compromising functionality for advanced users?

IA-Ready Paragraph: The equitable distribution of benefits from emerging technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT) is significantly influenced by users' existing digital skills and resources. As highlighted by van Deursen and Mossberger (2018), a 'new digital divide' can emerge, where those with more advanced skills and resources gain disproportionately, while others are further disadvantaged. Therefore, any design project involving IoT must proactively address potential skill gaps through inclusive design strategies and accessible user support.

Project Tips

• When researching user needs for an IoT project, actively seek out participants with varying levels of technical experience.
• Consider how your design might be perceived or used by someone with limited digital skills.

How to Use in IA

• Reference this paper when discussing the importance of user skill levels in your design process, particularly if your project involves emerging technologies like IoT.

Examiner Tips

• Demonstrate an awareness of the diverse skill sets of potential users and how this influences design choices.

Independent Variable: User digital skills and resources

Dependent Variable: Benefit realization from IoT technologies

Controlled Variables: Type of IoT technology, specific application domain

Strengths

• Identifies a critical emerging issue in technology adoption.
• Provides a strong theoretical framework for understanding the digital divide in the context of IoT.

Critical Questions

• What specific skills are most crucial for effective IoT interaction?
• How can educational initiatives be integrated into product design to bridge skill gaps?

Extended Essay Application

• An Extended Essay could explore the development of a specific IoT system designed with a focus on accessibility for users with low digital literacy, using this paper as a foundational argument for the necessity of such a design.

Source

Any Thing for Anyone? A New Digital Divide in Internet‐of‐Things Skills · Policy & Internet · 2018 · 10.1002/poi3.171