Digital divide is
the term refers to the gap between demographics and regions that have
access to modern information and communications technology, those that
do not or have restricted access. This technology can include the
telephone, personal computers and the internet. In other words digital
divide refers to the gap between individuals, households, businesses and
geographic area at different socio-economic levels with regard both to
their opportunities to access information and communication technologies
(ICT) and to their use of the internet for wide variety of activities.
The digital divide reflects various differences among and within
countries. Before late 20th century, digital divide referred
chiefly to the division between those with and without telephone
access; after the late 1990s the term began to be used mainly to
describe the split between those with and without internet access,
particularly broadband.
Digital divide as the
gap between those who can connect to the internet and those who cannot.
It is not just about the lack of an affordable connection; it also
involves the lack of computer equipment and training necessary to use
effectively. We believe digital inclusion is one of the most important
social justice issues of our day.
The
digital divide typically exists between those in cities and those in
rural areas; between the educated and the uneducated; between
socioeconomic groups and globally between the more and less industrially
developed nations. Even among populations with some access to
technology, the digital divide can be evident in the form of
lower-performance computers, lower-priced connections such as dial-up
and limited access to subscription-based content.
The
reality of a separate-access marketplace is problematic because of the
rise of services such as video on demand, video conferencing and virtual
classrooms which require the access to high-speed. High- quality
connections that those on the less-served side of the digital divide
cannot access and/or afford. While adoption of smart phones is growing,
even among lower-income and minority groups, the rising costs of data
plans and the difficulty of performing tasks and transactions on
Smartphone continue to inhibit the closing of the gap.
Social factor that contribute to the digital divide include;
Age, young
people feel more comfortable with the new technology and are able to
benefit from more than older people. Older people are less likely to
have a computer and are less likely to be interested in using the
internet.
Gender, boys use computers and the internet more than girls
Family structure, families with children have more computers and internet access than families without
Education, in
order to benefit from the digital technology people must know how to
use it .Information communication technology has become a major subject
taught in most schools but many adults did not have the opportunity to
learn how to use computers when they were in school.
Literacy, skills
are important for people to read web pages. Those unable to read well
will not benefit from information on the internet-they may only use
computers to play games.
Ethnicity, different
ethnic groups have different attitudes to technology. Many deprived
areas of large cities have high numbers of people in differing ethnic
groups. This may have an effect on wealth and education .And if English
is not a first language, this may cause problems.
BY: TAMBA PHILIP
BAPRM-42679
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