Alexander J.A.M. van Deursen

prof. dr.ing.

Calculated based on number of publications stored in Pure and citations from Scopus
20062024

Research activity per year

Personal profile

Personal profile

As full professor of communication science with a chair named 'Digital Inequality', Alexander van Deursen is interested in the role of technology in the processes of human communication and in ensuring that technology development is at the service of people. He is especially known for evaluating the contribution of technological developments within debates on inclusive societies. In a scientific manner, he maps barriers of technology engagement – for example using his widely acknowledged framework of digital skills – and explains differences in the positive and negative outcomes that people receive from engagement with (emerging) Internet technology. He is interested in how different people appropriate technology into daily life, and under what conditions technology actually can be used to improve wellbeing.

Alexander has published widely in (communication science) journals that critically discuss key issues arising from the scale and speed of technology development. His publications on digital skills and digital inequality have won awards as best dissertation worldwide on technology and communication from the International Communication Association, best dissertation in communication science in the Benelux from the Netherlands School of Communication Research, best paper award from the International Communication Association, and the UT in the Media award from the University of Twente.

Alexander has advised the Dutch government, European Commission, International Telecommunications Union, UNESCO and other national and international organizations on the social implications of the Internet, specifically on how to account for the contribution of technology to increasing social inequalities. He has been visiting professor at the Londen School of Economics and Political Science (LsE) and Arizona State University (ASU). He initiated the ever-expanding DISTO project (from digital skills to tangible outcomes project) with professor Ellen Helsper (LsE). In addition to his academic work, he has been featured in numerous popular media outlets including all major national newspapers, international newspapers such as the New York Times, and many other outlets.

Finally, Alexander is director of the Centre for Digital Inclusion, a research centre that supports governments and organisations to realize a digitally inclusive municipality, organization, or society, by identifying and explaining underlying mechanisms, by mapping benefits and risks of technology, by investigating which groups are at risk of being left behind, and by formulating and implementing policy measures and interventions. www.centrefordigitalinclusion.nl 

Research interests

Digital inequality: Internet access among the population

In his first line of research, Alexander examines the use and impact of the internet in relation to an individual’s societal position. His findings reveal that certain segments of the population more frequently use applications that provide significant advantages in accumulating capital and resources (such as those related to work, education, and societal participation). Conversely, other segments disproportionately favor entertainment applications, which offer fewer tangible benefits. In addition to widening relative disparities, there is a troubling trend of absolute exclusion, which occurs when offline alternatives become unavailable. Building on traditional frameworks of exclusion, Alexander seeks to understand who benefits from technology and in what ways. To complement quantitative studies, he explores specific types of technology use and their impact on offline outcomes across various societal domains.

During his time at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), Alexander contributed to the "From Digital Skills to Tangible Outcomes" (DISTO) project. Collaborating with scholars from LSE and Oxford University, he developed a theory-driven index for measuring digital exclusion. This index tracks the process of technology adoption, considering factors such as motivation and attitudes, physical and material access, skills, usage patterns, and outcomes.

Digital inequality in a smart society
In this line of research, Alexander leads projects examining inequality in the context of AI and IoT developments. Together with PhD students, he has conducted performance tests to assess IoT skills and usage within the social setting of the home. 

Digital Skills
Digital skills are pivotal in translating specific types of technology use (e.g., job searching) into corresponding outcomes (e.g., employment). Performance tests based on Alexander’s framework, which identifies six types of digital skills—operational, formal, information, communication, content creation, and strategic—have challenged common assumptions about citizens’ digital proficiency. For instance, Alexander has demonstrated that older users often outperform younger users in content-related digital skills. His findings also emphasize the enduring relevance of traditional skills as a foundation for digital competence.

Digital skills for 21st century labor
This line of research extends his focus on digital skills by examining those required for employment in the modern era. Discussions on essential knowledge and abilities for the current and future workforce often highlight “21st-century skills,” which include information management, communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and critical thinking—skills also critical in digital environments. Alexander addresses challenges such as the growing demand for highly skilled jobs and the mismatch between the skills taught in educational institutions and those required by the labor market.

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 1 - No Poverty
  • SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
  • SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
  • SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities
  • SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
  • SDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals

Keywords

  • H Social Sciences (General)
  • digital inequality
  • digital divide
  • digital skills

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics where Alexander J.A.M. van Deursen is active. These topic labels come from the works of this person. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
  • 1 Similar Profiles

Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years

Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or