By Lisa Felton, Managing Director, Vodafone Foundation
For years, Europe’s digital debate has focused on access – faster broadband rollout, 5G corridors, achieving gigabit targets, and ensuring the next wave of infrastructure investment.
And while these remain vital, new research from Vodafone Foundation suggests we might be missing a deeper and far more human challenge. For millions of older Europeans, the real barrier to digital participation isn’t connectivity at all. It’s confidence.
Our six‑country study of 6,000 people aged 55 and over revealed an apparent paradox at the heart of Europe’s digital transition. On the one hand, it’s reassuring that older adults are online in record numbers. 91% use digital devices every day, even among those aged 75 and above.
And smartphones are now embedded in daily life, connecting people to family, news, services and the wider world. By most traditional measures, Europe should be firmly celebrating what is a robust digital inclusion success story.
But beneath this surface, the research points to a subtler, less visible digital divide. Only one in three older adults feels confident navigating new digital tools. Nearly 70% report low confidence or fear making mistakes, and more than half feel technology is moving too fast for them to keep up.
We’ve succeeded in getting older citizens online. But we haven’t made them feel empowered, safe, or in control when they get there.
This matters. Digital confidence is no longer a “nice to have” for later life. It is an essential capability for participating fully in society. Public services, banking services, healthcare portals and basic social infrastructure increasingly assumes a level of digital fluency. And as governments pursue “digital‑by‑default” strategies, older people who lack confidence are at risk of being left behind by the pace of change.
The research also spotlighted the human stories behind the statistics. Two‑thirds of older adults said their loneliness has increased in recent years. When loneliness is felt, older people turn instinctively to offline, real‑world interactions such as visiting friends, joining community activities or even spending time outdoors.
This tells us that digital tools can support but never replace these personal relationships. That’s a message that must sit at the heart of every digital policy affecting ageing populations.
The survey further highlights the uncomfortable reality that more than two-thirds of older adults also regularly encounter stereotypes that they “struggle with technology.” These patronising assumptions dent confidence, deter learning and reinforce the “silver surfer” prejudices. Europe needs to encourage its older generation if it wants to build an inclusive future for millions of older citizens.
Crucially, the study reveals what does work. Older adults overwhelmingly prefer learning in supportive, social environments - 51% favour in‑person learning, 39% rely on family and friends, and 29% choose structured, community‑based programmes
And nearly 60% want more intergenerational exchange, showing that digital inclusion is as much about relationships as skills.
Our policy approach must respond to these insights. Europe’s ageing population is not a problem to solve, but an enormous digital opportunity hiding in plain sight. Older adults are curious, motivated and eager to learn.
91% of Irish respondents, for example, want to develop more digital skills. But their curiosity alone is not enough. They need environments that build their confidence gradually, where their questions are welcomed, and where learning can happen at a human pace.
At Vodafone Foundation, our Hi Digital programme is an award‑winning digital skills initiative supporting older adults across six European countries to build confidence, stay safe online and maintain social connection in an increasingly digital world. It offers a blend of face‑to‑face workshops, in‑store digital support, and a simple online learning platform designed for people aged 65 and over.
And while it helps older adults learn essential digital skills, the focus is squarely on building confidence, offering hands‑on guidance and supportive, community‑based learning. Hi Digital has already improved the lives of over 200,000 older people, and we’ve extended it to provide free practical support in Vodafone retail stores to help thousands more learn by doing.
We know it works, and it has given us some important learnings that can steer future digital inclusion strategies for governments, charities and industry:
First, confidence before complexity. Training must focus on reducing fear of mistakes and demystifying devices, not racing through advanced tasks.
Second, community-led learning. Local libraries, community centres, charities and intergenerational programmes are the true engines of digital inclusion for older Europeans.
Third, human‑centred design. Technology companies must recognise that constant interface changes and unclear updates drive anxiety. Features should evolve with the needs of ageing users, not against them.
If we can more widely adopt these learnings, we have the chance to redefine what digital inclusion truly means. The focus is very much on connectivity, but if we also invest in confidence we can unlock a generation’s potential, strengthen social participation, and ensure no citizen feels left behind by the digital world accelerating around them.
The infrastructure revolution is already well underway. The confidence revolution must now begin.
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