In June 2020 The Helen Clark Foundation and WSP released
Alone Together: The risks of loneliness in Aotearoa New Zealand following Covid-19 and how public policy can help. The report outlined the health and wellbeing risks posed by loneliness, described those most likely to be negatively impacted, sketched the impact of the Level 4 lockdown, and recommended six key policy planks to enable social connection to thrive:
- Make sure people have enough money
- Close the digital divide
- Help communities do their magic
- Create friendly streets and neighbourhoods
- Prioritise those already lonely
- Invest in frontline mental health.
This short video talk will focus on point 2 - the relationship between loneliness and digital inclusion. It will argue that a suitable device with an affordable internet connection should be considered a baseline for social inclusion, and outline key policy recommendations to enable this.
Read the report
here, or
here (accessible version).
