Colloquium Lecture: Marco Albertini

Marco Albertini
University of Bologna

Title: Evolution of digital divides by age, income, and education: A decade of E-administration utilization in Europe

Integrating technological innovation and diffusion frameworks with social stratification approaches, this presentation examines the impact of age, social stratification, and their intersection on the utilization of E-Administration tools in Europe. Data from Eurostart’s IC Household Survey, covering the years preceding and following the COVID-19 pandemic, are used as well as the period following massive public investments in digitizing public administration methods. Results suggest that the digital divide is a dynamic process in which the social bases of digital exclusion evolve rather than simply diminish. More generally, we document the role of (forced) digital literacy and public investments in shaping the digital divide by age and socio-economic position.