The Digital Divide
Internet diffusion may have powerful effects in the area of education, health care, labor productivity and integration of world economies. However, the same types of problems occur again and again in technology projects around the world. We tend to pay insufficient attention to human and social systems that must also change for technology to make a difference.
The first order to resources people are food, clothing and shelter. “Poor people may have what they need to survive, but will never be able to get ahead.” Once resources for survive are achieved then attention can be turned to IT to function as ladders with which people can exit poverty.
Read the article “Digital Divide: The Three Stages”. This older article considers 3 areas of concern.
- The Economic divide – inequalities in the basic availability of computers
- The Usability divide – inequalities in technical competence and information literacy.
- The Empowerment divide – divisions between those able to use the Internet for enhancing their political participation.
Do some further research, and answer the following questions –make sure you document your sources.
- While doing your research on this topic, did you discover potential other technology created divides – if so what did you find?
- Should the world, as in the organization United Nations, be more active in narrowing the Digital Divide? If so, use your imagination and describe how?
- Does the Digital Divide even apply to the poor people when their prime goal is to survive?
- Does the Digital Divide Matter? Will it resolve naturally? Will the gap widen?
- Do Governments have the authority or the responsibility to widen or broaden a digital divide?
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The Digital Divide –
Internet diffusion may have powerful effects in the area of education, health care, labor productivity and integration of world economies. However, the same types of problems occur again and again in technology projects around the world. We tend to pay insufficient attention to human and social systems that must also change for technology to make a difference.
The first order to resources people are food, clothing and shelter. “Poor people may have what they need to survive, but will never be able to get ahead.” Once resources for survive are achieved then attention can be turned to IT to function as ladders with which people can exit poverty.
Read the article “Digital Divide: The Three Stages”. This older article considers 3 areas of concern.
The Economic divide – inequalities in the basic availability of computers
The Usability divide – inequalities in technical competence and information literacy.
The Empowerment divide – divisions between those able to use the Internet………………..
APA
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