Digital Margins: How spatially and socially marginalized communities deal with digital exclusion

The increasing importance of the Internet as a means of communication has transformed economies and societies. For spatially and socially marginalized communities, this transformation has resulted in digital exclusion and further marginalization. This book presents a study of two kinds of marginalized communities: spatially marginalized rural communities and socially marginalized Gypsy-Travelers. Mechanisms of both social exclusion and digital exclusion were studied to create a better understanding of how marginalized communities deal with ongoing digitalization. The interplay between citizens, governments, and market players is a recurring theme throughout the book. Issues in current policies and approaches are discussed, and recommendations for improvement are provided. Altogether, this study shows that the Internet is not an equalizer, as it was once assumed by academics and policy makers. Instead, unequal access to the Internet shows that ‘offline’ geographies still matter in the digital age. Ongoing developments around digital exclusion in the Netherlands, and in a broader perspective around the ‘participation society’, beg the question how much can be asked of communities and what should be a public task. If governments really care about digital equality, then they need to enable self-reliant communities to achieve their goals, but they also need to play a more active role themselves and help the more dependent communities.