These figures suggest we need to build a better understanding of the relationship between social exclusion and digital technology. There are a number of views here.
Digital participation can be a way to mitigate social exclusion by introducing disadvantaged groups access to the benefits of internet use (helsper and galacz 2009).
Others suggest that offline social inequalities will translate into online social inequalities (Carnegie UK Trust, 2016B: Onoa, 2007). For example, access, design and implementation are often not considered from the perspective of those excluded, and so reproduce existing barriers and inequalities (Jaeger, 2012; Goggin and Newell 2007; Dobransky and Hargittai, 2006)
some have argued these structural trends are creating an entrenched digital underclass (Helsper and Reisdorf, 2016 Age UK, 2013; choi and DiNitto,
but identifying causality is difficult given how intertwined society and technology now is. Few studies have shown a change in individuals' social inclusion through a sustained engagement with information and communications technology (carnegie UK trust 2016b
Defining Social Exclusion is complicated involving many factors.