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When the Digital Poverty Alliance (DPA) began its work through the e-Learning Foundation, the problem was immediate and practical. Children were being asked to learn in a world that was moving online, but too many did not have a computer at home. Access to technology was already becoming about access to education, confidence and opportunity.

Twenty-five years later, that work has not lost its urgency. It has grown in meaning. Digital poverty is still about access to laptops, tablets, mobile phones and connectivity, but it is also about what happens once people are online. The DPA’s National Delivery and Advocacy Plan reflects that wider understanding, setting out how government, industry, education, charities and communities can work together to reduce digital poverty across the UK. Its focus is not only on whether people can connect, but whether they have the skills, support and confidence to use digital life well.

That is where the DPA’s anniversary speaks directly to Wikipedia’s. A fairer digital society depends not only on access to the internet, but on access to knowledge people can understand, question, trust and help shape. Wikipedia’s own 25-year story sits squarely within that challenge.

Happy Birthday Wikipedia

Also turning 25 this year is Wikipedia. Most people have used Wikipedia, which is the most famous of the Wiki projects, (there are others, including Wikimedia Commons and Wikidata). Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia which was created in 2001 in the US by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger. Wikipedia contains over 66 million articles in over 300 languages. The English Wikipedia alone contains over 7 million articles. At the heart of Wikipedia’s values are the concepts of a neutral point of view, without opinion or bias, and reliability, ensuring that information is verified with reliable sources.

Wikipedia articles are created, edited and improved by volunteers across the globe, known as Wikipedians. Wikipedia is the product of collaboration between volunteers, and no one person ‘owns’ an article. Volunteers check for false, inappropriate or unverified content and ensure that vandalism is removed. Administrators have additional responsibilities such as blocking repeat offenders and editing protected articles.

The non-profit Wikimedia Foundation supports the people, technology, and policies that enable reliable information to be shared with the world through all of the Wiki projects. Wikimedia UK is the UK chapter of the global Wikimedia movement. They campaign for open knowledge and equity of access and representation in the online information ecosystem. Wikimedia UK has recently appointed an Education Lead to build on the existing work in schools, universities and civic spaces. Central to this is supporting the development of media literacy.

How is the understanding of digital poverty changing?

Digital poverty is increasingly being understood as more than access and connectivity. The DPA defines digital poverty as the inability to interact with the online world fully, when, where, and how an individual needs to.  Although this does refer to access to technology and connectivity, for an individual to fully interact with the online world in a way that meets their needs, they must have the tools to navigate the online world once they are connected. Failure to ensure that all individuals develop media and digital literacy can exacerbate existing social divides and create new inequalities. The DPA has acknowledged that ‘digital exclusion in any of these dimensions also exacerbates and is exacerbated by other socio-economic, educational, racial, linguistic, and gender inequalities.’ The algorithmic systems employed in so many areas of digital life, and which have been shown to display bias, are becoming increasingly influential in perpetuating and creating digital divides.

How is Wikipedia fighting digital poverty?

Wikimedia UK agrees with the DPA that it is important to expand essential digital and critical thinking skills across society. Ed-tech has become a feature of all schools but the provision varies greatly, with some schools having access to a range of software and others being limited to cheaper versions. Poor digital literacy is exacerbated by lack of resources and a lack of good quality media literacy education. Students in schools with resources and capacity are taught to use GenAI responsibly and to further their achievements, whereas students in more disadvantaged, time-poor schools where they are not getting such support are turning to advice on platforms such as TikTok which often promotes unethical and irresponsible use of AI, with harmful consequences for the user that can limit their opportunities.

Recently, Wikimedia UK has increased its engagement with young people, who often feel the digital divide more keenly. As the demographic most exposed to the digital world and spending the most time online, they are vulnerable to harmful and polarising misinformation and disinformation, and are likely to have their life opportunities limited by poor media and digital literacy.

This is why Wikimedia UK has launched a Wikimedia in Schools series of materials and workshops, currently in the development and pilot stage, that will be free to all teachers, and will include off-line options for those schools that cannot provide Internet access for all students. This will also include a session on the use of GenAI. Contrary to popular belief, young people are not ‘digital natives’ who will develop digital skills through exposure alone. Young people need to be taught the skills to navigate the online world ethically and safely, and when this provision is unequal the inequality between schools with capacity and those without increases. Poor media literacy is not only a barrier to progression to HE (for example clumsy usage of GenAI in university applications) but can also adversely affect achievement when they get to university, when students have not been taught appropriate research and referencing skills. As well as developing a free online series of materials, Wikimedia UK is also working with The Brilliant Club on a media and digital literacy programme to be delivered in schools with students from low socioeconomic backgrounds to widen participation in HE.

As the DPA rightly says, ‘in order to tackle both the basic skills gaps and pernicious social inequalities, the evidence points to a need to conceptualise digital skills as skills for life, not just for digital work or the digital economy. Digital skills are relationship skills and civic skills as well as vocational skills.’ Wikimedia UK also recognises the link between digital and media literacy and democratic engagement. In the report Wikimedia and Democracy, one conclusion is that:

‘Research has been able to confirm positive correlations between individuals’ information literacy, media knowledge, critical thinking abilities, and civic and political engagement online and offline. Information literacy has been highlighted in particular for its potential to fight against fake news, misrepresentation and social prejudice.’

In a world of digital manipulation and attention economy, it is important for young people to know that Wikipedia is free of harmful algorithms which can perpetuate, deepen or create new disadvantages and divisions. Those with poor digital and media literacy will be more vulnerable to the harms of algorithms influencing their choices. Because Wikipedia does not use manipulative algorithms, readers can make their own choices in what links they click on, knowing their decisions are autonomous, and with no commercial interests. This avoids polarising echo chambers. When individuals feel empowered to make free and informed decisions online, are contributing to the information ecosystem and are accessing neutral, verified information, they are less vulnerable to polarisation and more likely to engage in democratic and civic activities.

As well as an understanding of online harms, media literacy also includes an understanding of the creative and empowering opportunities available online. One determinant in digital poverty identified by the DPA is motivation, with individuals feeling that the Internet is ‘not for me.’ But when individuals are part of shaping the online information ecosystem, they can increase representation of their own experiences and cultures. This will combat the feeling of alienation from the digital world. One way to achieve this is by contributing to Wikipedia, either through edits or articles.  Although Wikipedia strives for neutrality and verifiability, that does not mean that its content is always representative, and users are encouraged to redress imbalance and increase diversity of representation By making edits and writing articles young people can be active contributors to knowledge rather than passive consumers.

Over the 25 years of change since the birth of both Wikipedia and the DPA, our understanding of the online knowledge ecosystem and of digital poverty have evolved. Participation is as important as access. Wikipedia is not just a place to access knowledge, it is a place to learn how to participate in the creation of knowledge, learning to check, improve, share and add to the knowledge ecosystem. Digital poverty is not just about access to technology and connection, it is about developing skills, confidence and motivation to participate in the digital world. This means that digital inclusion is not just about giving people devices and helping them to get online, it is about helping them to understand, question and contribute to the digital world.

You can find more information about Wikimedia UK, how it supports Wikipedia’s 25th birthday, and how to contribute to Wikipedia (either by editing or some other way) here.

You can find information about how your organisation can sign the DPA’s Charter for Digital Inclusion here.

This piece was co-written by Sally Latham, Education Lead, Wikimedia UK, and Joel Tiller, Head of External Affairs, Digital Poverty Alliance.

Sources:

UK Digital Poverty Evidence Review (p9)
UK Digital Poverty Evidence Review (p13)
National Delivery and Advocacy Plan (p32)
Rethinking Education with Generative AI (p12)
Rethinking Education with Generative AI (p12)
UK Digital Poverty Evidence Review (p60)
Wikimedia and Democracy (p16)
National Delivery and Advocacy Plan (p69)