John Adewole PMP

13/04/2026

A different kind of milestone this week.

One of my goats gave birth — a quiet reminder of how life continues to unfold, often without noise or announcement.

There’s something grounding about moments like this.

No dashboards. No strategy decks. Just responsibility, care, and patience in real time.

It made me reflect on a few things:

• Not all progress is visible or immediate
• Growth often happens in the background before it’s recognised
• Stewardship — whether in communities, organisations, or even livestock — requires consistency, not just ambition

In a world that moves quickly, there’s value in staying connected to simple, real moments like this.

They tend to put everything else into perspective.

13/04/2026

In 2018, I triangulated Dr. Lorraine Hope's work (University of Portsmouth) on information elicitation (memory) into the design of computer-mediated communication products.

The work focused on how CMC will become social, suggestible, transient, and spatial.

I wasn't writing about social media addiction back then, I was trying to understand gaming addiction. But I might as well have been.

The conversation happening right now around social media addiction tends to centre on screen time and dopamine loops. Understandable — but I think we're diagnosing the symptom, not the design.

Because here's what I observed back then, and what I believe still holds:

Memory is social — "what's on your mind?" Platforms are built around social contagion. The feed is not neutral. It is engineered to surface emotionally charged content that shapes how we encode and recall experiences, often without our awareness.

Memory is suggestible — every notification, every algorithmic nudge, every "on this day" prompt is a designed distortion. The platform actively reconstructs your memory of relationships, events, and identity. The research suggests you won't notice the contamination.

Memory is transient — because forgetting happens rapidly, platforms fill that gap deliberately. Infinite scroll and real-time updates exist to ensure your memory never has time to settle.

Memory is spatial — the app is the space. It has colonised the environment in which memories are captured and retrieved, making recall increasingly dependent on returning to the platform.

We saw early signals of this with gaming and CMC after Hi5 and the proliferation of Facebook post-2004.

We are seeing it again with AI.

The question is not whether these platforms are addictive. The question is whether they were ever designed with the human memory ecosystem in mind, or designed around it, for other purposes entirely.

👉 https://johnadewole.wordpress.com/2018/06/29/a-hope-perspective-of-how-memory-works/

According to Dr Lorraine Hope at the University of Portsmouth, memory makes us who we are, and although memory is reliable – it is not necessary for us to be false or deliberately economical …

13/04/2026

Live Measurement Digital Inclusion Toolkit – Beta Now Open

I’m pleased to share that the Live Measurement Digital Inclusion Toolkit is now in beta, available to Voluntary and Social Enterprises (VSEs) through the Council’s Community Southwark.

This toolkit is designed to help organisations:
* Measure digital inclusion impact in real time
* Capture meaningful data for funding and reporting
* Strengthen evidence-led decision-making

If you’re a VSE working within , this is an opportunity to shape and benefit from a practical, data-driven approach to digital inclusion.

Access the tool here: https://ifbgaming.com/digital-inclusion-toolkit-uk/

📩 If you’d like to take part in the beta or learn more, feel free to message me directly.

A practical digital inclusion toolkit 2026 for students, organisations, and communities. Learn how to support access, confidence, and participation in a connected world.

14/03/2026

Encouraging to see the Greater London Authority exploring new ways to strengthen civic and democratic participation during London Democracy Week.

One detail in the visual summary particularly resonated with me: “Games that start conversations.”

For me, this matters. My own journey into digital inclusion began through video games — exploring how interactive technologies can create more circular, engaging, and inclusive ways for communities to participate in society.

In my contribution to the Greater London Authority community insights update, I suggested that games and interactive approaches could be powerful tools for civic and democratic participation — helping people explore issues, share lived experiences, and engage in conversations that might otherwise be difficult to start.

Participation today is not only about formal consultations. It is increasingly about creating environments where people feel safe, curious, and empowered to engage.

Encouraging to see these ideas gaining space in discussions about London’s democratic future.

14/03/2026

A valuable moment this week at City Hall London during London Democracy Week special meeting, hosted by the Greater London Authority.

The conversation focused on civic and democratic participation, impartial engagement, and the importance of local and place-based approaches in shaping London’s future.

One thought stayed with me.

Participation today is no longer only about physical civic spaces. It increasingly exists in digital environments where people access services, share views, and interact with institutions.

As cities evolve, strengthening democracy will require attention not only to participation in principle, but also to digital capability, digital confidence, and trust in the systems that shape civic life.

Local knowledge, community relationships, and inclusive digital pathways will all play a role in shaping how London’s democracy continues to grow.

Encouraging to be part of such an important conversation.

16/02/2026

An inclusive digital inclusion ecosystem is slowly but clearly emerging across London — and it’s encouraging to see the new community 'Data Waypoints' map begin to take shape.

At a time when fear, division, and online harm can make connection harder, the Mayor’s message is an important reminder that shared physical and digital spaces still matter — especially those rooted in trust, local relationships, and practical support.

These community spaces are more than venues. They are points of connection: places where people can learn, access support, build confidence, and reconnect — online and offline. When designed well, they become part of the social infrastructure that underpins digital confidence, civic participation, and inclusion.

It’s positive to see this work supported in partnership with the National Lottery Community Fund, and framed around unity, belonging, and access — not just services.

London’s digital inclusion challenge will not be solved by connectivity alone. It will be shaped by places, people, representation, partnerships, and governance — and by whether communities have trusted spaces to turn to when they need help.

London is, and should remain, a place for everyone. This feels like a meaningful step in that direction.

— Inspired by a message from Sadiq Khan

Explore the map with the link: https://lnkd.in/exHhCtxm

11/02/2026

Digital inclusion isn’t fixing. It’s teaching.

A few years ago, we noticed something interesting while working with families.

When a parent struggled with a device, most teenagers didn’t teach them.
They simply took it away, fixed it quickly, and handed it back.

Problem solved… for today.

But not for tomorrow.

So we turned that everyday moment and more into a simple "how we teach inclusion" series with hashtag — a friendly reminder that real digital inclusion isn’t about being the “tech hero”. It’s about building independence, confidence and skills.

Because if someone always fixes it for you, you remain dependent.
If someone shows you how, you’re empowered for life.

That principle shapes how we work through .

• We don’t just distribute SIMs — we explain connectivity
• We don’t just provide devices — we build skills
• We don’t just troubleshoot — we teach confidence

From Winter Data Care to community workshops and family tech support, our goal is sustainable capability, not temporary fixes.

Inclusion is not charity.
It’s capacity-building.

Sometimes the most powerful thing we can say is:
“Let’s do it together.”

How do you encourage digital independence in your home, school or community?

25/12/2025

Happy Christmas!

As the year draws to a close, I want to take a moment to thank our partners, collaborators, supporters, and communities for the trust, energy, and shared purpose that have defined 2025.

This year has reminded us that digital inclusion is not just about technology — it is about people. About dignity, access, and ensuring that no one is left behind as our world continues to evolve.

Through our work at IFB Gaming, we have seen first-hand the power of collaboration — across communities, sectors, and generations — to create meaningful change. I am deeply grateful to everyone who has walked this journey with us.

As we enter the festive season, I hope this time brings you rest, reflection, and moments of connection with those who matter most.

Wishing you a peaceful Christmas and a hopeful, purpose-filled New Year.

John Adewole
Founder & CEO, IFB Gaming

17/12/2025

Informing London-wide Digital Inclusion Policy

In 2025, IFB Gaming contributed frontline insight to the GLA Community Insights Hub, helping inform London-wide thinking on digital inclusion through lived experience, community delivery, and practical evidence.

Our case study reflects what we see daily through our programmes: digital exclusion is not just about access to devices or data, but about confidence, trust, safety, and sustained support — particularly for individuals facing poverty, displacement, or structural barriers.

“Policy is most effective when it is informed by the realities of community delivery. Digital inclusion must be built with people, not just for them.”
— John Adewole, Founder & CEO, IFB Gaming

Through community-rooted delivery, IFB Gaming has demonstrated how:

1. Local organisations act as trusted entry points for digital support
2. Connectivity and skills must be designed around real-world needs
3. Digital inclusion policy is strongest when shaped by delivery-level insight
4. Safeguarding, dignity, and sustainability are essential — not optional

Being included in the Community Insights Hub reinforces the importance of listening to community delivery organisations when shaping inclusive digital policy for London and beyond.

We remain committed to contributing evidence, practice insight, and responsible innovation to ensure digital inclusion strategies reflect lived realities — especially as AI adoption accelerates.

📘 Read the full case study:
https://lnkd.in/ei5WvTFu

13/12/2025

Is Digital Inclusion Science?

When we talk about digital inclusion, it’s often framed as charity, access, or skills training. But in practice, the work looks far closer to applied science.

It combines:
• behavioural insight (confidence, fear, motivation)
• human-centred design (usability, trust, accessibility)
• systems thinking (cost, infrastructure, policy, community networks)

And like any applied science, it involves:
• forming hypotheses
• testing interventions
• measuring outcomes
• refining models based on evidence

In my experience, digital inclusion efforts fail not because the technology is wrong, but because the human and system variables were never properly studied.

If we treated digital inclusion as applied science:
• Would programmes be designed differently?
• Would funders invest differently?
• Would public services test and iterate rather than assume?
• Would communities be recognised as knowledge holders, not just beneficiaries?

As AI, automation, and digital-by-default services accelerate, understanding how people actually interact with technology becomes a scientific challenge — not just a social one.

So here’s the question I’d love views on:

Should digital inclusion be recognised, funded, and evaluated as applied science, rather than a “soft” social intervention?

Curious to hear perspectives from those working in research, policy, tech, education, and social impact.

01/10/2025

The debate on the UK’s new digital ID cards has rightly focused on convenience, efficiency, and the risks of privacy, exclusion, and surveillance.

But there is a deeper and more urgent dimension we cannot overlook.

In an age of deepfakes, unauthorised AI training, and the misuse of personal likenesses, a trusted and accountable national digital ID system could serve as a vital safeguard for our most personal asset - our face.

A secure digital ID framework, if implemented with strong legal and ethical guardrails, could:

Protect individuals from the unauthorised use of their photos and likeness in media and AI systems.

Create a clear route to contest and prevent unethical digital exploitation of identity.

Establish digital human rights by linking identity verification to consent, dignity, and protection in online spaces.

This shifts the narrative: digital ID is not only about governance or compliance, it is also about empowering citizens to defend their identity in the digital age.

As we discuss the future of digital inclusion and rights in the UK, the protection of photo rights must sit firmly at the table.

What do you think? Should digital ID play a role in protecting our photo rights in the age of AI?

I’d love to hear your perspective.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyl3lzzed2o

The IDs will not have to be carried day-to-day, but they will be compulsory for anyone wanting to work.