Observer Report
Islamabad
Digital technologies are fundamentally changing the way people live, work, learn and entertain across the globe. It has opened up a myriad of possibilities for everyone to improve their lifestyle by provision of information, education and occupation. However, those who lack the ability and know-how to navigate this digital turf can end by being marginalized and at a disadvantage. Not only this, without mass induction of basic digital proficiency, no nation can truly benefit from the opportunities of the digital arena at a macro level.
Pakistan is one developing country which has abundant potential for digital progression. Same is being capitalized under the PMs vision of Digital Pakistan; which is based on access & connectivity, digital infrastructure development, e-Government, digital skills training and innovation & entrepreneurship. But how do we expect to fully take advantage of these endeavors when roughly only a quarter of the adult population utilizes the internet.
On the Inclusive Internet Index of the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), Pakistan stood at the 68th place out of 86 countries surveyed, with a mean score of 54.5 relative to the South Asian average of 61. And one of the key reasons for this low ranking is digital illiteracy. Moreover, a study conducted by the GSMA found that around 40% of mobile phone owners who do not use the mobile internet have difficulty understanding how to use their mobile handset. This reflects the level of rudimentary technological knowledge of people.
Although there is a raging obsession and penetration of mobile applications utilized in daily routine tasks such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Uber, Easy-Paisa etc. but none are exploited to their full potential. Social media is primarily used to scroll content, and drivers for ride hailing services are not capable to navigate Google Maps. There is still an enormous market space untapped in the financial sector as well, as only 18% of Pakistanis have ever used a digital financial service in their lives.
Furthermore, no one can deny the truth that digitalization has paved pathway to a new working dynamics. Automation, digital platforms, and other innovations are changing the fundamental nature of work. Work is now being fragmented and spaced around the globe via the marvel of internet and cloud computing. This industry is expected to generate gross service revenue between $15 billion and $25 billion by 2020 as per a World Bank report, with a significant chunk taken by freelancers. Not only this according to a survey conducted by the World Economic Forum, 71% of tasks that were undertaken by humans in 2018 will be reduced to 58% in 2022. The rest will be done by machines. These are alarming insights into the future and without being digitally literate, it is almost impossible to survive in such circumstances.
It is a universally accepted fact that education is considered as the most powerful instrument, to eradicate poverty and gear up socio-economic development and welfare of a society. The requirement of the hour is to educate ourselves with the digital technologies surrounding us. Many institutions are now offering short term courses to equip the masses with basic digital literacy.
One such platform is DigiSkills.pk, an initiative of Ignite National Technology Fund, a company owned by Ministry of Information Technology, to provide free of cost 3 month course on digital literacy. This course will help people in learning office productivity tools that are part and parcel of modern work environment.
