The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) -- a specialised agency of the United Nations -- in one of the latest special reports affirms that the lack of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills is serving as an important impediment for people to go online.
The report -- Measuring the Information Society Report 2018 -- further reveals that the more online activities get complex, the fewer the people that are undertaking these activities. The report points out the importance of digital skills for individuals in the society, employment and general well being.
And computer users in developed countries have more ICT skills than those in developing countries which is preventing people in those countries from using the Internet.
The report recognises the cost of Internet subscription as one of the major factors discouraging people in developing countries from using the Internet aside from the lack of fundamental ICT skills. It also illustrates that the stakes of not having access to digital media and not being able to work with them are high.
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The ITU states that ICT skills are fundamental to achieving positive while also avoiding negative outcomes. It adds that transferable digital skills are indispensable in the face of the increasing complexity of ICT systems. Hence, the skills to use ICT are fundamental to participate in an increasingly digital world.
