Digital Divide

1. Digital Divide By :Bridgid Cody, Price Kinney Vinay Vemuri, Meng Zhai “I don’t think I really understood the digital divide until you got a better, faster computer than mine.”

2. What is Digital Divide? • The discrepancy between people who have access to and the resources to use new information and communication tools, such as the Internet, and people who do not have the resources and access to the technology. Can also describe the ability to use those such technologies. • Truly began in 1991 when computers, internet, and technology became more readily available. The phrase wasn’t widely used until 1999

3. Why might a digital divide exist? • Race • Gender • Age • Location • Financial situation • Education

5. There aren’t any Benefits to having a digital divide. • However there are be benefits to bridging the digital divide • Universal Access • Would allow more people to access the internet • Make the internet “omni-present” • Allow people of low income or restricted by location to have the same access as those who are wealthier or in a developed country

6. Benefits (cont) • Communication • Allow people all over the world to become connected • Allow people who had no connection with the rest of the world to do so • E-learning • Allows education to be accessible anywhere • People can pursue new options online

8. Negative Aspect of the Digital Divide • Lack of Technology affects learning • Technology allows us to extend our learning even outside the classroom. • Hence, lack of technology does not allows individuals to easily engage in interest- based learning. • Unemployment • Sources of the digital media enables tech-saavy individuals to gain a good understanding of the job market. • In today’s world where technology is so widely used, employers prefer individuals who are well informed about how to use a computer.

9. Loss of Potential Societal equality and empowerment • Access to the internet has completely transformed our lives. • Using this analogy many believe that universal access to technology can help social equality and empowerment.

10. Opinions • The digital divide is a serious issue • Large impact • Detrimental • Must work to overcome the digital divide • Raise awareness • Philanthropy

11. Steps towards overcoming the Digital Divide • One laptop per child • Open source/free software • Understand the culture, to address needs better with technology • Better education

12. Is the digital divide even a pertinent issue in society? • Many People believe that the digital divide is merely a ‘transient’ phenomenon as: • Technology is expected be cheaper in the future • Computers and expected to be smarter. • Hence, people may not require a high-tech skill set. • Professor Benjamin M Compain states (in his book ‘The Digital Divide: Facing a crisis or creating a myth’) that • “it is a perceived gap. digital divide is not the issue to expend substantial amounts or funds nor political capital”

13. Sources • http://www.useit.com/alertbox/digital-divide.html • http://www.edutopia.org/mending-breach-overcoming-digital-divide • http://www.infotoday.com/MMSchools/jan00/carvin.htm • http://www.ctcvista.org/node/717