Tuesday, December 05, 2006
The Great Digital Divide
What is the digital divide? The Digital Divide was a term first used in the early 1990s to help explain the ever developing gap between those few who have access and the know how to use Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and those who, for geographical reasons and or socio-economic, have restricted, limited or even no access. There was much concern that ICT would worsen existing disparity. Many areas of specific concern were recognized both abroad and here, specifically that individuals could be at a severe disadvantage from their age, gender, geographic location, culture and or economic status.
“The digital divide is not a clear single gap that divides a society into two groups. Researchers report that disadvantages can take such forms as lower-performance computers, lower-quality or high-priced connections, difficulty in obtaining of the Internet and technological advances in developing economies… Today the discussion is moving from the technologies themselves to skills and literacy. Training people in computer skills entails teaching them to read and write first and then how to search and use information effectively but regular practice and the access to practice will still be a limiting factor….Another key dimension of the Digital Divide is the global digital divide, reflecting existing economic divisions in the world. This global digital divide widens the gap in economic divisions around the world. Countries with a wide availability of internet access can advance the economics of that country on a local and global scale. In today's society, jobs and education are directly related to the internet. In countries where the internet and other technologies are not accessible, education is suffering, and uneducated people cannot compete in our global economy. This leads to poor countries suffering greater economic downfall and richer countries advancing their education and economy.”
