Poverty, Inequalities and Digital Exclusion: Promoting Cognitive Well-being

Digital technologies end up penalizing socially disadvantaged people, giving rise to digital subclasses, which have weak digital literacy skills. Digital exclusion can exacerbate existing inequalities in society or introduce new inequalities. It is observed that the relationships and impacts of poverty and exclusion on forms of digital disadvantage appear more evident and continue to be studied by many parties, the long-term cultural, social and economic benefits still remain to be understood and measured, since if, on the one hand, new technologies can provide interesting ways for civic engagement, On the other hand, they can also widen pockets of existing poverty by amplifying hardship and access for those who already do not have access to them. The problem of digital poverty, being complex and involving inequalities of different kinds, cannot be traced back to the identification of technical solutions, but is a social problem that requires joint efforts by the local, national and international community to be addressed. Digital inclusion can succeed in bridging the gap between different socio-economic groups and improving overall economic growth when it creates virtuous relationships with access to education, healthcare and civic engagement, which are key factors in promoting socio-economic development.