Girls and women often have less access to technology and the internet compared to boys and men. The use of computers and internet technology have a relationship with poverty, educational qualification, and also on access to electricity. How it is used is likely to be influenced by a range of contextual factors 16 and a complex interplay between technological variables e. This inequality due to such factors creates what we now know as the digital divide. To analyse this conc ept we study causes of private computer and internet access with a threefold model including human capital, family context and social context. In addition, it identifies factors that developing countries need to consider in the adoption and application of icts for economic development. What is the digital divide uci school of education.
Other variables, such as household size and type, age, gender, racial and linguistic backgrounds and location also play an important role. Before studying user pro files, however, the reasons for access versus nonaccess to computers and the internet should be clarified. Causes and consequences of the digital divide 1589 words cram. Social responsibilities of the librarian in 2008 the digital divide is a term that has been used frequently in the past decade to describe the gap of access to modern computer technology between different socioeconomic groups in the world, and the effect that has on peoples financial success in todays economy. It is quite important for governments in poorer countries to try and bridge a gap of technology in.
If the wealthy those with a higher socio economic status use technology to both further their own research and businesses and help the underprivileged, then perhaps the gap between these two. The digital divide can be defined as the gap between individuals, households, businesses and geographic areas at different socioeconomic levels with regard both to their opportunities to ac cess icts and to their use of the internet for a wide variety of activities oecd, 2001, p. Digital divide what it is, about, history, types, causes. Causes of the global digital divide disparities in computer and internet use by race and income in the united states causes of the u. What is the causes and effects of the digital divide in your country. Exploring the aspects of digital divide in a developing country. A good indicator of the level of the digital divide is the number of access lines and access paths per 100 inhabitants. Lack of access due to affordability lack of knowledge on how to use the technology lack of knowledge of the benefits of the technology the majority of people on the losing side of the divide are composed of the poor and the elderly, with a small percentage of those who are handicapped to the point of being unable to use these tools at all. Parayil, 2006, focusing on eco the spread of the internet. The digital divide will not close unless there is an initiative to seal the gap.
The digital divide is not the same for every area, yet successful solutions incorporated across the world can be modified to meet the needs of the lacking regions. Introduction while the internet has brought tremendous social and economic opportunities to billions of people around the world, the remaining billions of people have been left on the short side of the gap known as the digital divide. The term highlights the issue that those who do not have access to such technology are potentially destined to futures where they will be at an economic disadvantage. Pdf contrary to optimistic visions of a free internet for all, the problem of the digital divide the disparity between those with digital media. The appearance of such new divides under different transformation factors led to the further elaboration of traditional and new concepts, such as. The global digital divide and the effects of technology use. The cause of the digital divide is difference in society, different initial settings of countries, internet access and having gadgets and smart phones but the effects of the digital divide is the differences in society, lack of knowledge in basic life, financially broke and lower ability to innovate. India is a diverse country with so many cultures, languages and religions.
The term digital divide probably has caused more confusion than clarification. Although 429 million seems like a large number it is only 6 percent of the global population fact sheet, 2004. According to aleph molinari there are three main causes of the digital divide. The global divide which refers to divergence of internet access between industrialised and developing societies. These are theories more rooted in sociology and communication and also focus on social and contextual factors. The digital divide limits business development in lowincome areas of cities and in rural areas. The digital divide and factors affecting global digital divide. Beyond connection and literacy factors, there should exist a better definition of indicators where cultural aspects should also be included. Given the time between the meeting and publication, all of the essays by original authors were returned to the authors for updating. In this paper, i analyze the definition of the digital divide, and compare it to.
To summarize, according to baker, the digital divide can be defined as a suboptimal situation from the point of view of 1 the access to equipment initial conception, 2 the uses and 3 the availability of contents and services. The percentage of 5 to 17yearold students with either no internet access or only dialup access differed by students raceethnicity. Contrary to optimistic visions of a free internet for all, the problem of the digital divide the disparity between those with digital media skills and access, and those without has. This paper explained the causes of the digital divide and also highlighted the challenges in bridging the digital divide. In addition, because of the importance assigned to the issue of regulation, two essays on regulatory issues were commissioned. For example, tv sets are more evenly distributed than 3g mobile phones. Digital divide also describes the difference between developed and undeveloped countries, but it doesnt only stop there digital also comments on the availability of technology between regions within one country and even the local community. Digital divide mariam fakih computer ethics outlines definition history causes bridge the gap global. The crucial factors of impacting digital divide information. This can be seen in the more rural parts of england where services such as 4g or fibre optic internet are unavailable due to a greater emphasis on the more population dense urban areas. Not everyone restricts the digital divide to these resources, however.
This paper will examine these factors which may contribute with the digital divide and the what worldwide has been done to improve the divide. The root causes of this difference are high costs, lack of digital knowhow, scarcity of content that is relevant and empowering for women, and barriers to women speaking freely and privately online. Oct 31, 2018 a recent report from nces, student access to digital learning resources outside the classroom, highlighted some differences in home internet access for students. Reap studied the digital divide in china by examining disparities in access to computers, learning software, and internet among different groups of primary school children.
A socioeconomic related digital divide exists in how, not. Cause of the digital divide 791 words internet public library. An increasing reliance on digital technology in ones everyday life necessitates the development of digital literacy skills to enable ones continued participation in the internet informationage. Although this is the major contributing factor, there are other factors that contribute which include the following. With socioeconomic divisions already present in todays society, the digital divide is compounding the effects. There is not a single divide, but multiple divides. The digital divide among households appears to depend primarily on two variables, income and education. The digital divide is a gap created between different demographics of people in their ability to understand, access and effectively use technology. The digital divide october 8, 2014 page 2 of 6 eliminate the digital divide law of 2000 illinois california advanced services fund of 20 massachusetts it bond bill of 2014 at the same time, 19 states currently restrict or ban municipal broadband services.
Examples of the factors which cause this segregation are things such as geographical causes, economical causes, and even the fear of technology. Pdf the digital divide, framing and mapping the phenomenon. An important objective is to secure access for all to ict as one of the major causes of the digital divide is the difference between the technologically advanced and technologically poor nations mcnair, 2000. At the core of the digital divide are the newer information technologies email, the world wide web, and file transfer protocols in particular. Pdf causes and trends of the digital divide researchgate. Older technologies tend to be more evenly diffused than newer ones. In addition, there are gaps in highspeed internet access that have important effects on media access such as streaming video. An example where geographical causes can be noted locally is how in england, where i live, being located in certain parts means that you may be disadvantaged slightly in regards to the availability of technology.
Doc the digital divide, causes and solutions david. The digital divide is an economic and social inequality with regard to access to, use of, or impact of information and communication technologies ict. Around the world 429 million people are connected to the internet. Causes of the digital divide the information age causes of the digital divide this divide is as a result of a number of factors which affect every one of us today, except sometimes we do not realise it. Pdf in modern societies, the digital divide indicates the emergence of a new form. Worldwide this is due to either economic, societal, educational or structural factors within ones life. Fortyone percent of those people can be found in north america. Broos and roe 2006 found also gender is one of the major factors structuring the digital divide. Discuss the causes and effects of the digital divide essay.
Chapter 5 the digital divide within formal school education. Mar 31, 2017 in this way, the digital divide concept may be more broadly understood as a divide in not only if it is used access but also how it is used, as well as subsequent outcomes. Giannakopoulos 2006, dwivedi and lal 2007flamm and. Digital divide consequences of the digital divide educational impacts. The digital divide, or technology gap, is the difference between groups with access to technology and the internet and those without. This inequality in ability can be due to a variety of factors, including age, country of origin or residence, exposure to technology, available income, and motivation. The social divide which is concerned with the gap between the information rich and information poor in each nation. What is digital divide, consequences and how to reduce it. The digital divide consists of multiple layers that need to be broken into sections. Apr, 2016 the digital divide is a difference in access to technology between nations, regions and based on demographic factors such as income, race and age.
Furthermore, over the last decade, the aspects of the digital divide have changed with technology. On the other hand, survey data also indicates that african. Instead, the divide persists today despite the mass marketing of electronic devices with internet access. Bridging the gap through ict in nigerian libraries. A term that describes the division of the world into two camps, those who have access to the internet and other advanced information technologies and those who dont. The evolution and application of digital divide research. Inequality in content production and distribution vi. Benoit says our page will end up looking like source list.
Broadband infrastructure is a critical component of creating an ecosystem that supports entrepreneurship, enabling businesses to expand market reach and customer bases, barton writes in the recently released chapter. Bridging the gender digital divide plan international. Digital divide research information system ris pure research. Size and type of household are an important factor. Geographical causes for the digital divide are visible both locally, and on global scales. The digital divide in the united states refers to inequalities between individuals, households, and other groups of different demographic and socioeconomic levels in access to information and communication technologies icts and in the knowledge and skills needed to effectively use the information gained from connecting. It is not just the cost of computers that results in the digital divide, but also the presence of widespread illiteracy among overlooked populations. Conclusion acknowledgements some of the material in this chapter draws on work with paul dimaggio to whom i am grateful for many discussions on the topic.
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