In or out?

Many users are being overwhelmed by the digitalization of our society. Be it the Corona warning app, the property tax declaration or the digital Germany ticket. If the developers primarily see the benefits of their offerings, many users are left with fundamental questions and/or often lack the necessary equipment and expertise.

As a result, this lack leads to reduced use of the services, if not to their rejection. This usage behaviour is mainly observed among conservative occasional users and minimal online users, which is how the D21 Digital Index describes the user groups with the least knowledge.

Over half of Germans belong to one of these groups, the majority of which are made up of baby boomers and the post-war generation. As (caring) relatives, baby boomers in particular are an essential part of elderly care and therefore also a yardstick for user acceptance of digital innovations. But it is not only in the care sector that developers should pay more attention to the digital skills of boomers. The average age of new car buyers is 53 and many car manufacturers are finding that their most important customer group is struggling with digital cockpits and apps.

It is important to understand that access does not imply usage. A distinction is made between ownership and usership. Just because I own a device, e.g. a smartphone, does not automatically mean that I can use it "smartly".