Paper short abstract:

We will be presenting the results of two studies that have explored the digital needs of UK and Welsh households with children. The work has led to the development of a Minimum Digital Living Standard for use by researchers, policymakers, and practitioners addressing issues of digital exclusion.

Paper long abstract:

This paper presents the development and initial use of a Minimum Digital Living Standard (MDLS) for Households with Children. The project draws on significant prior work by the team on digital inclusion and Minimum Income Standards (MIS). The MDLS adapted the consensus-based methodology used to develop the MIS. Over three iterative rounds, groups consisting of purposively sampled participants who are demographically similar but socio-economically different developed a consensus MDLS definition through:

1. Consideration of what it means to be digitally included, and construction of case studies

2. Identification of the digital goods, skills and services needed in case study households

Further groups were undertaken to assess specificities around age (young people 16-18) and region (Wales). A UK-wide survey operationalised the MDLS to assess links with social, economic, cultural and digital factors. This was an in-person quota sample of 1500 households, selected to represent the UK population of families with children.

The paper reports on the development of the MDLS and the initial results from the survey. Overall, the project seeks to understand variation in needs, the specific challenges in families meeting, and the consequences of not meeting, the MDLS. As a future step the survey data, along with other relevant secondary data, will be integrated into a geodemographic. Qualitative work is ongoing with representatives of families who are below the MDLS to explore issues arising from falling below the standard. The work has been funded by the Nuffield Foundation, Welsh Government, and Nominet.