Info-exclusion, digital inclusion and active citizenship

In the digital age, the importance of having the necessary skills to actively participate in public life is undeniable. These are skills that mainly involve a critical, conscious and effective use of new technologies (Feijão et al., 2021). In a historical moment of diffusion and massive implementation of the Digital Welfare State, a non-neutral system in many countries (UN, 2019), there are many opportunities for active participation and citizenship, from the effective use of egovernment services and platforms to the signing of digital petition or to online voting. However, also many obstacles and risks for a considerable part of the world's population, living in what Castells defined as the “fourth world” (2008), that are info-excluded. In Portugal, the fourth oldest country in the world, the elderly population constitutes the most digitally excluded group (UN, 2022). In this communication, we aim to explore contemporary debates about on infoexclusion in elderly population. We aim to present a meta-review the literature, the existing reviews, to explore best practices and interventions (e.g., Mubarak & Suomi, 2022; Walsh et al., 2016), but also the evidence developed at national level about digital inclusion and media use as a tool for empowerment and promotion of active citizenship for elder. This way, it also aims to point out concrete proposals and policies that improve the ability to take advantage of new tools to transmit values, have an active voice in the public sphere and contribute to the development of social and cultural responsibility.