Digital Divide
“I don’t think I really understood the digital divide until you got a
better, faster computer than mine.”
By :Bridgid Cody, Price Kinney Vinay
Vemuri, Meng Zhai
What is Digital Divide?
• The discrepancy between people who have
access to and the resources to use new
information and communication tools, such as
the Internet, and people who do not have the
resources and access to the technology. Can also
describe the ability to use those such
technologies.
• Truly began in 1991 when computers, internet,
and technology became more readily available.
The phrase wasn’t widely used until 1999
Why might a digital divide exist?
•
•
•
•
•
•
Race
Gender
Age
Location
Financial situation
Education
There aren’t any Benefits to having a
digital divide.
• However there are be benefits to bridging the
digital divide
• Universal Access
– Would allow more people to access the internet
– Make the internet “omni-present”
– Allow people of low income or restricted by location
to have the same access as those who are wealthier
or in a developed country
Benefits (cont)
• Communication
– Allow people all over the world to become
connected
– Allow people who had no connection with the rest
of the world to do so
• E-learning
– Allows education to be accessible anywhere
– People can pursue new options online
Negative Aspect of the Digital Divide
- Lack of Technology affects learning
• Technology allows us to extend our learning even
outside the classroom.
• Hence, lack of technology does not allows individuals
to easily engage in interest- based learning.
- Unemployment
• Sources of the digital media enables tech-saavy
individuals to gain a good understanding of the job
market.
• In today’s world where technology is so widely used,
employers prefer individuals who are well informed
about how to use a computer.
- Loss of Potential Societal equality and
empowerment
• Access to the internet has completely
transformed our lives.
• Using this analogy many believe that universal
access to technology can help social equality and
empowerment.
Opinions
• The digital divide is a serious issue
– Large impact
– Detrimental
• Must work to overcome the digital divide
– Raise awareness
– Philanthropy
Steps towards overcoming the Digital
Divide
• One laptop per child
• Open source/free software
• Understand the culture, to address needs
better with technology
• Better education
Is the digital divide even a pertinent issue in society?
- Many
People believe that the digital divide is merely a ‘transient’
phenomenon as:
• Technology is expected be cheaper in the future
• Computers and expected to be smarter.
• Hence, people may not require a high-tech skill set.
- Professor Benjamin M Compain states (in his book ‘The Digital
Divide: Facing a crisis or creating a myth’) that
“it is a perceived gap. digital divide is not the issue to expend
substantial amounts or funds nor political capital”
Sources
• http://www.useit.com/alertbox/digitaldivide.html
• http://www.edutopia.org/mending-breachovercoming-digital-divide
• http://www.infotoday.com/MMSchools/jan00
/carvin.htm
• http://www.ctcvista.org/node/717