Pressing delete on computer illiteracy
We must welcome the fact that the government is mulling measures to reverse low computer penetration in the country’s households. As most people know, Greece has the lowest computer ownership rate in Europe. Computer illiteracy is also due to many other problems, such as insufficient knowledge and skills, as well as a lack of specialization and training. EU governments have tackled the issue by offering many different incentives, either in the form of tax exemptions and discount coupons or advertising campaigns to spread the use of computers. Promotional campaigns may be useful but they can’t compare to more direct measures, such as state aid or tax exemption. The truth is that many households cannot afford to pay 1,500 euros for a computer. As a result, they go on postponing the purchase of a tool that has become almost indispensable to both workers and students. Worse, those who cannot afford to buy a computer are those who need it most. The computer can become a means to escape poverty. Of course, you can never be sure that a computer will always be used for the best of purposes. Nevertheless, the state must give its citizens the opportunity to participate and succeed in the society of knowledge. It is often said that the people who can’t use a computer are the illiterates of the 21st century. Our country won the battle against traditional illiteracy. Now it must eradicate computer illiteracy.
