Benefits of getting online only limited by our imagination

When travelling around Scotland, I’m often encouraged when I hear about the innovative and interesting ways people use their internet connection at home or at work. While we in BT are very focussed on complex engineering challenges, it’s easy to forget that for many people, the idea of using a device to connect to the internet is alien to them. Reaching those groups of people to tell them about the benefits of being online isn’t easy. You can’t post something on social media, send them an email or expect they will visit your website. But once you manage to connect the key is to identify their ‘hook’ – finding their reason for wanting to be online. For some that might be researching their ancestral history or job hunting, for others it’s about communicating with family who are far away and for many it’s about making their lives easier. In the Highlands and Islands, where being remote or isolated is more common than elsewhere, helping people get online is even more important. BT, working in partnership with Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Citizens Online, has supported some award-winning Get IT Together projects to help people get online and build their confidence and skills. In these projects, some of the benefits of wider social media have been explored, allowing people to see beyond the media headlines and security concerns, and find their hook. At the project in Nairn, delegates learned to share photos with family and friends around the world on Facebook and reconnect with family they hadn’t seen in years. One lady is now on Skype with her grandchildren on a daily basis.

The simple ability to connect with people, can be a sustaining reason for people to get online

Much is made of the benefits of saving money on energy bills or using online services, but the simple ability to connect with people, can be a sustaining reason for people to get online and then to want to explore more possibilities on their online journey. In June 2014, the Get IT Together project in Newtonmore hosted a session with the Scottish Government on cyber crofting, helping crofters get online to showcase their work and diversify into new income streams. B&B accommodation and deliveries of home-made food are just some of the ways crofters are using the internet to generate extra income. The Small Medium Enterprise (SME) market has been slower to take advantage of the benefits of being online. Simple websites advertising services and allowing customers to make contact can allow a small business to reach new markets. We’ve seen in the recent independence referendum a more engaged Scotland of which the internet and social media has played an important part. With over 500,000, fans of both ‘yes’ and ‘no’ campaigns on Facebook alone, the role of social media in our lives is clear. As academics analyse the impact social media is having on our political processes, this sense of continued engagement is critical to helping people on their online journey. Simply helping someone to get connected is not enough, they need to grow in confidence and discover new possibilities. Innovation from across the public, private and third sectors combined with community education are crucial in all of this. The possibilities across Scotland are only limited by our imagination.