The document discusses the digital divide, which refers to the gap between those who have access to modern information and communication technologies, and those who do not or have limited access. It describes the digital divide in three stages: the economic divide where some cannot afford technology; the usability divide where technology is too complicated for many to use; and the empowerment divide where not all will take advantage of opportunities even with easy access. The digital divide is important to address in order to help distribute information more evenly and increase employment opportunities. It impacts areas like education, the economy, society, and culture by influencing daily life, opportunities, communication, and more. Efforts should be made to bridge the gap.
The document discusses the digital divide, which refers to the gap between those who have access to modern information and communication technologies, and those who do not or have limited access. It describes the digital divide in three stages: the economic divide where some cannot afford technology; the usability divide where technology is too complicated for many to use; and the empowerment divide where not all will take advantage of opportunities even with easy access. The digital divide is important to address in order to help distribute information more evenly and increase employment opportunities. It impacts areas like education, the economy, society, and culture by influencing daily life, opportunities, communication, and more. Efforts should be made to bridge the gap.
The document discusses the digital divide, which refers to the gap between those who have access to modern information and communication technologies, and those who do not or have limited access. It describes the digital divide in three stages: the economic divide where some cannot afford technology; the usability divide where technology is too complicated for many to use; and the empowerment divide where not all will take advantage of opportunities even with easy access. The digital divide is important to address in order to help distribute information more evenly and increase employment opportunities. It impacts areas like education, the economy, society, and culture by influencing daily life, opportunities, communication, and more. Efforts should be made to bridge the gap.
The document discusses the digital divide, which refers to the gap between those who have access to modern information and communication technologies, and those who do not or have limited access. It describes the digital divide in three stages: the economic divide where some cannot afford technology; the usability divide where technology is too complicated for many to use; and the empowerment divide where not all will take advantage of opportunities even with easy access. The digital divide is important to address in order to help distribute information more evenly and increase employment opportunities. It impacts areas like education, the economy, society, and culture by influencing daily life, opportunities, communication, and more. Efforts should be made to bridge the gap.
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DIGITAL DIVIDE
WHAT IS DIGITAL DIVIDE?
- Digital divide is a term that refers to the gap between demographics and regions that have access to modern information and communications technology, and those that don't or have restricted access. This technology can include the telephone, television, personal computers and the Internet.
The "digital divide" refers to the fact that certain parts of the population have substantially better opportunities to benefit from the new economy than other parts of the population.
3 STAGES OF DIGITAL DIVIDE
Stage 1: Economic Divide
In its simplest form, the digital divide is manifested in the fact that some people can't afford to buy a computer. Although politicians always talk about this point, it's growing more irrelevant with each passing day — at least in the industrialized world. We should recognize that for truly poor developing countries, computers will remain out of the average citizen's reach for 20 years or more.
Stage 2: Usability Divide
Far worse than the economic divide is the fact that technology remains so complicated that many people couldn't use a computer even if they got one for free. Many others can use computers, but don't achieve the modern world's full benefits because most of the available services are too difficult for them to understand.
Stage 3: Empowerment Divide
We have the knowledge needed to close the usability divide, and I remain hopeful that we'll get the job done. The empowerment divide, however, is the hard one: even if computers and the Internet were extraordinarily easy to use, not everybody would make full use of the opportunities that such technology affords. Participation inequality is one exponent of the empowerment divide that has held constant throughout all the years of Internet growth: in social networks and community systems, about 90% of users don't contribute, 9% contribute sporadically, and a tiny minority of 1% accounts for most contributions. .
Prospects for Bridge Building
The Internet can be an empowering tool that lets people find good deals, manage vendors, and control their finances and investments. But it can just as easily be an alienating environment where people are cheated. Members of the Internet elite don't realize the extent to which less-skilled users are left out of many of the advancements they cheer and enjoy. Ultimately, I'm extremely optimistic about the economic divide, which is vanishing rapidly in industrialized countries. The usability divide will take longer to close, but at least we know how to handle it — it's simply a matter of deciding to do so. I'm very pessimistic about the empowerment divide, however, which I expect will only grow more severe in the future. WHY IS DIGITAL DIVIDE IMPORTANT? • It is important to understand what the digital divide represents, in order to help bridge the gap by implementing national and global strategies that distribute information and knowledge among the information rich and information poor more evenly. In effect by bridging the digital divide, we are increasing the employment opportunities of theinformation poor by helping them overcome social and cultural inequalities (Kelley-Salinas 2000).
The Impacts of Digital Divide
The digital divide has created a new distinction basis in the society that has critically influenced daily operations and livelihood of persons in globally. Effects of the digital divide are immensely felt in the following areas: Education, job opportunities, communication, politics, consumer satisfaction, health Information, community Involvement, government, and emergency information. A candid look at the impacts of the digital divide will guide on the direction and speed of bridging the digital gap. Some of the vivid effects of the digital divide are elaborated below Impact of the digital divide on education •The internet offers a rich reservoir of information and knowledge. Skills and expertise are well organized and conveyed over the internet making the use of computers to be a ubiquitous activity in the developed world. •The access and availability of ICT have been associated with academic success and robust research activities since users can quickly make references. • Education is a very dynamic sector and keeping up to date is crucial to success, the presence of internet access will ensure you get the latest trends and revolutionize your research skills. • The inadequacy of ICT equipment has made the already weak education system in the developing countries even more ineffective. Impact of the digital divide on the economy •Ceding of telecommunication services is crucial for economic growth, and there exists a strong linear correlation between the two. Interestingly, socio-economic status is one of the major causes of the digital divide and it also a consequence of the digital divide. • They can shop online and compare prices to get the best bargains, participate in online auctions and safely and securely transact online this translates to economic empowerment. • For the sect that lacks access to technology, trade is made hectic, and returns get lowered this maintain the economic gap between the developed and the underdeveloped nations extensive. • The rich countries get, and the emerging countries cannot compete with them hence remaining to depend on grants and donations.
Impact of the digital divide on social
•The inclusion of ICT services has been crucial in enhancing social interactions among people. Social websites such as Facebook and Instagram have been useful in facilitating communication and maintaining touch with friend and relatives of close ties. • Technology is very influential on the levels of relations among members of society since new social opportunities arise when we include ICT in our relationships. •People can now keep in touch with friends or even make new friends even amidst tight schedule courtesy of chat rooms. Besides, internet harbors fertile information about peoples’ culture and religion that are vital in guiding social relations.
Impact of the digital divide on the society
•The digital divide has contributed significantly to stratification in the community whereby there arises a class of persons with access to the internet and another class unable to use the ICT services either due to affordability issues or literacy levels. Some other factors that contribute to the digital divide in the society include age, race, and ethnicity. • The digital divide has led to a rise of new alignments in the community whereby people are classified depending on ability to access internet services this is coupled with associated benefits, and therefore those with limited access to technology continue to lag behind in development matters. Impact of the digital divide on culture •The integral components culture like relationships, communications, and art have been dramatically evolved by technology. However, it seems like some specific customs and cultural traditions have remained intact. •The developed countries experience tremendous changes in their culture as they incorporate new cultures acquired from the internet while the developing countries with people having limited access to the internet have their culture unchanged. Because they do not have access to technology, people in technology-poor nations are left behind. However, in order to narrow the digital divide, people need access to technology. •Inasmuch as digital divide is essential in preserving certain cultures, the downside impacts are overwhelming and speedy efforts towards its reduction if not elimination should be much enhanced