| Abstract [eng] |
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly increased the pace of digitalization in a short period of time. While digitalization has become an integral part of public life, its implications in the context of social exclusion, particularly in Lithuania, have received insufficient attention both in the policy and academic field. This master's thesis contributes to the existing research and aims to analyse the links between social exclusion and digitalization processes in Lithuania and the EU. The theoretical part of the thesis focuses on the phenomenon of the digital divide, which is characterised by poor access to digital technologies, low digital skills and limited use of digital opportunities. The digital divide is found to be caused by a wide range of sociodemographic, technological, geographical, health, psychological and economic factors and their interactions. The analysis of scientific literature shows that the groups most vulnerable to digitalization are the elderly, people with disabilities, individuals with poor physical or mental health, those with low incomes, residents of remote regions, and people with lower levels of education. This part examines the best practices of digital welfare states – Denmark, the Netherlands, and Finland – as well as Lithuania’s efforts in reducing the digital divide. By analysing the approaches to digitalization - access to technology, people's digital skills and use of technology – empirical part of this thesis shows that greater access to technology, higher digital skills and increased usage can lead to significant changes in terms of reducing social exclusion and increasing people's participation in society. EU countries with higher rates of digitalization tend to have lower rates of social exclusion and higher levels of satisfaction with their quality of life. Hierarchical cluster analysis reveals that Lithuania is among a group of countries with average digital and social performance. The thesis concludes with conclusions and recommendations. |
