A2 - Scott Keller

Digital Divide

Broadly, digital divide means the separation between individuals who possess the technical skills, resources, and physical means in which to utilize information technologies effectively and those that do not. The problem is a very universal and troubling matter and not only prevalent in developing countries, but even here in the United States. There is a huge gap in the ability and usage of internet and networking technologies between economic groups as low-income families are showing a decreasing trend while high-income use is growing at a steady rate. In my opinion, the digital divide is troubling in a few ways. First of all, while all of us take broadband access for granted, there are millions of people around the world that are not represented in our demographic. This is especially worrisome when talk of our digital world moves in the direction of political action where there are talks of creating government portals and forums in which many groups of people would not be able to access. More importantly, the digital divide brings into light the consistently widening gap of those in poverty and those with money. I mean, of the 6 billion people on this earth, #bubblec('only about 365 million own computers', 'Im curious: is that your opinion/guess or do you have numbers on this? If so, please reference them :)'). That's less than one percent of the worlds population. About half of the world hasn't even used a telephone before let alone the internet! The digital divide is a large problem in which those with the means create and govern information technologies.

CLever Movie

I feel that the movie served to highlight the digital divide more than to address it. The digital divide to me is more of a segregation in the manner of those that have and have the means to obtain IT and those that don't. The girl with developmental disabilities, Amy, is on the have end of this spectrum. She has a disability and has the means to obtain technology to aid her. She also lives in a place where there is a technological infrastructure. An expensive PDA that receives scripts from a computer couldn't help a lower class family in America that's barely making ends meet nor could it help a family in rural India or Africa. The real issue is bringing more people over the rift and educating and involving them in the digital world.