Why we need No Tech Day
“The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence.” – Carl Sagan
While Carl Sagan certainly wasn’t talking about the digital divide when he said the quote above, when I see it, it brings to mind one of the core challenges we have in the digital equity and empowerment space, which is making people see. Too often, I encounter those who bluster at the mention of digital inequity ‘…surely, everyone is online these days…’, or are genuinely shocked to learn it’s a thing. For many, this is a symptom of not seeing what doesn’t affect them; they are digitally empowered with their eyes on the future, not realising that for many others, the reality is starkly different. For some, the future on the horizon is much further away, and they instead are having to play catch-up or survive in the right now.
How can you understand what you can’t see?
When people don’t understand an issue such as digital inequity and the digital divide, it means it’s not on their radar when they plan and deliver, there aren’t accommodations and allowances made for it, and it is missing from policies, plans, and dreams for the future. It means there aren’t safety needs and ladders incorporated into things, ensuring everyone can have equitable opportunities to participate in society, democracy, our economy, and in innovation and creativity.
That’s why initiatives like No Tech Day 2025 are so important, shining the spotlight on the issues at hand in a really innovative and interactive way, a personal challenge that asks people not only to see, but to empathise and understand.
I’m a Librarian, and as with many of our frontline workers, we see the realities of the digital divide every day in all its nuances. We know it’s real, because it plays out in front of us day-to-day. We can see how external factors, like the cost-of-living crisis, AI opportunity gaps and the online-heavy nature of finding employment or housing is putting extra pressure on those who are already disadvantaged, through no fault of their own.
My view from the library-floor, as just one regional Librarian in small-town Aotearoa won’t be uncommon. We see people daily who use the library for connectivity and computer access, just to conduct their everyday business. We see people who need help accessing core services, healthcare, housing and employment, confronted by processes that are excessively digital, or entirely online. We connect people with Skinny JUMP, ensuring they can enjoy connectivity at home, something that really shouldn’t be a luxury or a ‘nice to have’. We help people who have been oversold devices, well beyond their capacity and needs, or those who just want a question answered without having to pay. A huge focus for us through our digital learning and community outreach programmes is building digital resilience in our community, especially around scams and online safety. We want our hapori to be able to navigate the increasingly complex landscape and come out on top, to be empowered and confident.
All of these initiatives work with people who have at least dipped a toe into the online world, even if it’s briefly or brand new to them. We are aware though that there are many people who haven’t even touched that frontier yet, be it by choice or by circumstance, and we must not forget about them.
An example that really drove this home for us was back when the Vaccine Passes came out, a process that required an email and in some cases, a cell phone. For many that would seem inconsequential, not even worth worrying about. However, there were many people in our community who had neither of these things and at times no online access at all, and for them the process was impossible, causing much stress. Here at Libraries Horowhenua we set up a help desk service and ended up helping almost 3000 people with this process. While not everyone needed the full plethora of help, a fair few people did and it really highlighted what can happen when digital inclusion isn’t folded into the planning and delivery of core services.
My hope for No Tech Day 2025 is that through illumination of the issue, more people see it, more people can understand it, and more people can contribute to changing the landscape!
Join the movement www.notechday.nz