The digital divide in Galicia.

I love newspaper headlines. I came across one just the other day which talked about the brecha digital which separates the coastal areas from the interior of Galicia.

It seems that some statistics collected in 2008 show a big difference in the use of information technology between different parts of Galicia. Back then (and we must remember that 2 years is a long time in the world of technology) only 33% of gallego homes had internet with a huge difference between the La Coruña – Betanzos area where 45.9% of homes were online and the Ourense-Sur zone which only reached 14.1%.

When asked why they did not have internet the answers varied. By far the biggest group were the not interested – no les parece interesante o útil – 40.7%. They were followed by the penny-pinchers – costes altos – 27%. I have some sympathy with this group as technology hardware does seem to cost more here than in the UK, although there are far more places offering free WIFI. Then there were the uninformed – falta de conocimientos – 20.1%. This group MUST be reducing by now as there are so many places offering free IT courses.

Then there is the age thing. Among 5 to 14 year olds, over 50% used internet. There really needs to be a big campaign to get the equipment into the schools. Most schools we have visited here are very poorly provided compared with even the smallest primary schools in the UK. The biggest group of users were the 15 to 19 year olds with 89.9%. I expect that is even greater now as almost all the youngsters I come across spend as much time as young Brits on Facebook or its Spanish equivalent, tuenti. The 30 to 39 year olds managed a 69.7% usership but then there was a big drop with fewer than 50% of 40 to 54 year olds. The article didn’t even mention the over 55s and yet I know of several ladies well into their 60s who are learning to use IT.

When it comes to mobile phones, 70% of gallegos over the age of 5 were using them in 2008. This was declared to be a big increase since 2002 when it was only 42.5%.

I must say I have seen very few 5 year olds walking down the street with a mobile glued to their ears and in fact only 28.5% of 5 to 14 year olds had mobile phones in 2008. I find it hard to imagine why any 5 year old NEEDS a mobile phone,

However, HUGE numbers of people from mid-teens upwards seem unable to move from one place to another without talking, talking, talking – and I mean into their mobile phones not to each other. This is borne out by the statistics: among 5 to 39 year olds 90% of the population had mobile phones in 2008.

The funniest example of phone use I saw was a couple hand in hand, deep in conversation ....... each with someone on other end of the phone. I suppose they could have been talking to each other and had grown so used to doing so by phone that they were unable to speak otherwise but no.... not really.

I am also particularly amused by those who have the hands-free versions; you hear somebody talking and have to decide whether they are completely and possibly dangerously mad or just having a loud conversation by mobile phone.

As I said, two years is a long time in the world of technology and all of these statistics are already out of date, of course, unless everyone is waiting until tomorrow to buy their IT equipment. This may not be as farfetched as it sounds according to a little something I found in the free paper, De Luns a Venres.

Under the title Algo moi galego it talked about the switching off of analogue television and the move to digital, a process that is working its way through the country and which has been talked about for ages. Well, apparently the other weekend as the switch-off began there were queues of gallegos in many electrical good shops as people finally decided to buy el famoso decodificador. The writer of the little article wondered if it was a case of lack of information but concluded that it was the seemingly VERY gallego habit of leaving everything to the last minute!