Assignment 2 - Dain Cilke

The digital divide is the discrepancy between those who have access to computers and those who don't. While this problem is most simply addressed as the discrepancy between those who have the resources to acquire computers versus those who don't, the concept of a digital divide also considers usability of computers and the empowerment of people to use them. A computer is a complicated tool which requires a certain tool set to use. As such, the digital divide is more complicated then just making computers cheaper, it's the education and motivation in learning how and why to use a computer.

In order to solve the digital divide problem, education on the uses and functionality of computers must be expanded. This issue is important because even if a user obtains a computer, they might not have the necessary skill set or basic understanding how how a computer works to full optimize using their machine. This problem can be solved in a relatively easy fashion by simply expanding computer education to the younger generation. Teaching the fundamentals of a computer at a younger age, (how to start the machine, how to open/create files, etc.) will decrease the mysticism about computers and allow for a more seamless merger of the computer into our daily lives. However, this approach doesn't address how to increase computer literacy in the older generations. For the older generations, self motivation is the limiting factor. How much they want to learn is proportional to how much they want to learn themselves.

The CLever movie presented the concept of digital divide in an interesting way. Instead of regarding the cause of the digital divide as monetary, it regarded the cause as a language barrier. The problem now becomes, how do we communicate with technology and have it communicate with us in a language we can understand? The interesting solution purposed in the movie involved pictures, which is an almost universal language that is simple to understand. However, the solution doesn't seem applicable on a large scale. The nature of the problem requires the user interface to be familiar and the level of detail adjustable for each user. However, the movie did show how a solution existed to those willing to put in the necessary time and effort.