Digital Divide: When the Internet Becomes a Matter of Social Inclusion and Exclusion.

Digital Divide specifically refers to the gap between individuals, households, businesses, and geographical areas at different socio-economic levels in regard to accessing information and communicational technologies by use of the internet (World Wide Web).

There is an imbalance in physical access to technology and the resources/skills one needs to participate as a digital user.

This means that because of external factors, one can not always have access to the digital world due to differences in people.

What factors separate people from interacting with the internet?

Criticism

The term Digital Divide is not universally known, especially in areas of low concentrated internet usage. Knowledge of computers will be less important once computers are easier to user and are more widely accepted and acquired in less developed countries.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCIB_vXUptY

– Education– Race– Gender– Disability

Origins of the Term

Digital Divide describes how some ethnic groups are excluded from owning a computer. The term soon evolved to focus less on the availability of necessary hardware, but more on internet access among people in developing countries.

Education

The United States focuses on providing computer access for educational purposes. Better resources that are provided to schools enable students to be equipped with tools involving regular computer access.

Students that have this regular usage of computer simulated programs aren't those of third world countries. Third world countries lack regular computer usage in their educational system.

Race

Minorities have a greater chance of not accessing computersbecause it wasn't present in their school system, or after schoolprograms. But 51% of Hispanics and 46% of African Americansuse their phones to access the internet. A mobile phone with internet is more easily acquired by lower class minorities than a computer.

About 25% of Native Americans live at or below the poverty line, which implies that internet usage is unaffordable. Tribal grounds aren't in the range of internet access providers. Internet access providers are concentrated in the urban cities and suburban areas.

Gender

In simple terms, women have less access to internet usage than men. Men are more likely to go into an engineering profession than a woman. There is a stereotype that's been developed, women are less capable of using technology than men. Girls develop in their younger years while playing with dolls. Boys are quickly adapting by playing a variety of video games, and connecting themselves to technology. This further expands their knowledge of technology and its software.

Disability

Generally, persons with disabilities are more likely to not use the internet. Lack of accommodation for people with disabilities creates The gap in one's abilities of accessing the internet. The internet interferes with one's activities of daily living. 2% of Americans say they have a disability or illness that impairs them to us the internet. Persons with disabilities have access to the internet most of the time, but because of their disability cannot properly use the internet. Of course their usage of the internet all depends on the complexity of their disability.

Social inclusion and exclusion, what does this really mean regarding internet usage?

Mobile Technology

Not only is there a digital divide between users and the internet/computers, but digital divide can also refer to the use of mobile phones. 91% of the American population owns a mobile phone. Smart phones are equipped with email, internet usage, and data packages; this bridges the gap because mobile phones are far less expensive then computers. Mobile phones don't eliminate the idea of digital divide. In some respects it is difficult for a phone to complete common computer tasks, such as writing a paper, or filling out a job application.

Global Digital Divide

Global Digital Divide refers to a more broader term that describes disparities between different regions of the world and their rates of social and technological development. Countries with availability of internet access can advance the economics of that country. Third world (less technically developed) countries have less access to the internet. As the internet becomes more and more complex and continues to expand, digital divide is growing, and those who have the least access to technology will be soon left behind, in their failed attempts to move forward.

Canada: Digital Divide still exists between the rich and the poor.China: Largest developing country in the world. Most people have access to the internet. Digital Divide is growing due to high online charges.Europe: Digital Divide is a matter of age and education. Digital Divide is commonly known in more rural areas.United States: Large percentage of Americans have internet access and a high speed internet connection in their own homes.Africa: Is far behind the rest of the world when it comes to technological advancements, but new technologies have finally reached Africa. Digital Divide is slowly closing.

Bridging the Digital Divide

Providing internet access is the first step, this is a challenge when there are income restrictions among people in third world countries. Unfortunately governments in third world countries do not currently process the resources for personalized internet access to all, even if the cheapest equipment were used. Efforts have been made to donate computers to developing countries' educational programs. Students can now access a wide spectrum of knowledge.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1akcDMfexDE

Awards

Certiport (focuses on teaching digital literacy) awards leaders around the world who have helped close the Digital Divide in their native countries.Certiport does this every year (Champions of Digital Literacy).

Although many people are taking part in efforts to close the gap of Digital Divide.– The United Nations– The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).

How has Digital Divide restricted some people from personalized internet access?

Works CitedInternet Sources

Anthony G. Wielm, Digital Nation: Towards an inclusive information society, MIT Press, 2004, ISBN 0-262-23238-3.

Correa, Teresa. (2008) "Literature Review: Understanding the "second-level digital divide" papers by Teresa Correa. Unpublished manuscript, School of Journalism, College of Communication, University of Texas at Austin.

Hanimann, Thomas; Ruedin, Etienne (2007) (PDF), Beyond Digital Divides – is there a chance for developing countries?