I read an article today about “apple babies”. That’s kids under the age of two who automatically try to use a touch screen when handed a phone, conditioned as they are to expect that if something has a screen it should be capable of manipulation. There are clips on YouTube of japanese kids trying frantically to change TV channels by swiping the screen with their hands- the same things they can do with things like Xbox Kinect, Wii and PlayStation Move.
But this can seem a world away when you work in social housing.
FACT: Only a tiny percentage of our customers do any online business with us. We have very little knowledge of their internet habits , smartphone use, social networks
FACT: We have customers – in their thirties and younger- who attend work clubs, who have no access to the internet, never used it, and look at a mouse the same way one of those Japanese kids would look at a typewriter. Excluded from work as well as technology – they exist in a genuine digital divide
I’ve started this blog as I’m working on a number of projects that depend upon our customers dealing with us online.
These include:
- A new customer deal – where we want customers to self serve , and be less reliant on us
- A social media project – where we want to tap into communities via facebook , twitter and google +
- Our Social Investment/Enterprise proposition – which aims to get 2000 residents into work by 2016. Primarily through an online application matching their profiles to opportunities
- Not the reality for many Social housing users
Paul Taylor 
So pleased to come across your blog. I am an information specialist with a niche in healthcare. I also write alot about how information is found, used, managed and shared. Most of my work is around inequalities – accessibility, literacy and digital divide. I recently contributed a chapter on Digital Divide for Government Info Mgt in 21st Century by Ashgate. Many of the areas you are interested are just as relevant in healthcare and recently I have been working on an NHS project called ALISS http://www.aliss.scot.nhs.uk/. I have followed you on twitter and look forward to hearing more and hopefully sharing.
Joanna – thanks for your comments and the tweet! I’m really interested in the ALISS project – it sounds fascinating and is something I would like to know more about. I’ve subscribed to the newsletter. Will stay in touch!
Excellent Paul – think we may have more in common although working in different arenas. Catch you in the digital stream!