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Assignment 2 - Baker
Last modified by Hal Eden on 2010/08/20 11:06
Assignment 2
The concept of the "digital divide" refers to the gap between the "haves" and the "have nots" of information technology. Why is this important? Put quite simply, information technology increases the standard of living of those using it. Information technology, and especially the internet, empowers those with access to it and the knowhow to use it effectively in almost limitless ways. It gives one access to virtually the entire store of human knowledge. #bubblec('Want to know how to make money on the stock market? Google it.', 'Why, then, am I still broke and without any money? This statement seems a little too techno-phile and optimistic.') Having trouble with pests in your crops? Google it. Worried about a health probelm? Sites like WebMD can give you answers in minutes. By having the ability to learn about virtually any topic imaginable, users of IT enjoy an unprecedented control over their lives. IT also brings users into direct contact with the global economy. Through sites like ebay, there is a very low barrier of entry to begin buying and selling products in every part of the world. The benefits enjoyed by those with access to IT are numerous and indisputable.
But the distribution of access to IT is not equal, hence the term "digital divide". What contributes to this? First, there is unequal access to IT hardware. People of lower income levels quite simply cannot afford to purchase a computer, especially if they don't perceive it as directly providing solutions to immediate needs like putting food on the table. There are quite obvious regional differences in IT hardware distribution. In less developed nations computer hardware may be entirely or virtually nonexistent. The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project is a notable effort to begin bridging this particular aspect of the digital divide.
But it is far more complicated than simply providing people with IT hardware. Access to the internet is crucial to begin bridging the gap. This requires significant infrastructure improvements that require time, money, and stability. And even after people have access to IT hardware and the internet, people must have significant knowledge to be able to effectively utilize the technology in their hands. I have watched my grandmother struggle with seemingly simple computing tasks like starting applications, switching between multiple windows, and using simple applications like email. I was struck with the realization that she had at her fingertips the power to dramatically change her life, but lacked the knowhow to achieve this.
Lastly, unequal distribution to the benefits of IT may be a symptom of the discrepancy between users of IT and developers. When children if Sudan are given OLPC laptops and taught to use them, they are using technology developed by Western computer scientists, catering to Western needs and embodying Western values. To truly be empowered by the technology in their hands, this children need to make the next step, from users of IT to developers. Then they can develop technologies relevant to the issues they face and become contributes to IT rather than simple consumers. This will also give people more of a sense of control over their technology, when they posses homegrown solutions to locally relevant issues. Interestingly, although I consider this an extremely important issue related to the digital divide, I did not encounter it anywhere in my searches about the topic. Thus you can consider this the specific dimension of the digital divide I chose to elaborate on.
CLever Project
The movie we watched about the CLever project showed a scenario where a cognitively impaired individual and her parent were able to use a combination of software and hardware to empower the cognitively impaired woman to have more independence. With the help of the technology she was able to use public transport and travel to a certain location to meet up with friends. This brings up a few very interesting aspects of the digital divide. For one, it points out that the digital divide is not a deliberate conspiracy to exclude certain groups, as some seem to envision it. Obviously technology designers don't have a deliberate desire to keep cognitively impaired individuals from using their systems. They have simply been an overlooked user group, at least partially because of the lack of economic opportunities associated with making technology targeted towards this particular group.
Also interesting is the fact that we tend to think of bridging the digital divide as enabling some group to have access to the same IT that other groups already have, but that is not the case here. Cognitively "able" (couldn't think of a better term) people don't have a need for this system, at least not as it was presented in the video. Instead, the divide is being bridged with a new type of IT designed specifically for a particular excluded group.
The concept of the "digital divide" refers to the gap between the "haves" and the "have nots" of information technology. Why is this important? Put quite simply, information technology increases the standard of living of those using it. Information technology, and especially the internet, empowers those with access to it and the knowhow to use it effectively in almost limitless ways. It gives one access to virtually the entire store of human knowledge. #bubblec('Want to know how to make money on the stock market? Google it.', 'Why, then, am I still broke and without any money? This statement seems a little too techno-phile and optimistic.') Having trouble with pests in your crops? Google it. Worried about a health probelm? Sites like WebMD can give you answers in minutes. By having the ability to learn about virtually any topic imaginable, users of IT enjoy an unprecedented control over their lives. IT also brings users into direct contact with the global economy. Through sites like ebay, there is a very low barrier of entry to begin buying and selling products in every part of the world. The benefits enjoyed by those with access to IT are numerous and indisputable.
But the distribution of access to IT is not equal, hence the term "digital divide". What contributes to this? First, there is unequal access to IT hardware. People of lower income levels quite simply cannot afford to purchase a computer, especially if they don't perceive it as directly providing solutions to immediate needs like putting food on the table. There are quite obvious regional differences in IT hardware distribution. In less developed nations computer hardware may be entirely or virtually nonexistent. The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project is a notable effort to begin bridging this particular aspect of the digital divide.
But it is far more complicated than simply providing people with IT hardware. Access to the internet is crucial to begin bridging the gap. This requires significant infrastructure improvements that require time, money, and stability. And even after people have access to IT hardware and the internet, people must have significant knowledge to be able to effectively utilize the technology in their hands. I have watched my grandmother struggle with seemingly simple computing tasks like starting applications, switching between multiple windows, and using simple applications like email. I was struck with the realization that she had at her fingertips the power to dramatically change her life, but lacked the knowhow to achieve this.
Lastly, unequal distribution to the benefits of IT may be a symptom of the discrepancy between users of IT and developers. When children if Sudan are given OLPC laptops and taught to use them, they are using technology developed by Western computer scientists, catering to Western needs and embodying Western values. To truly be empowered by the technology in their hands, this children need to make the next step, from users of IT to developers. Then they can develop technologies relevant to the issues they face and become contributes to IT rather than simple consumers. This will also give people more of a sense of control over their technology, when they posses homegrown solutions to locally relevant issues. Interestingly, although I consider this an extremely important issue related to the digital divide, I did not encounter it anywhere in my searches about the topic. Thus you can consider this the specific dimension of the digital divide I chose to elaborate on.
CLever Project
The movie we watched about the CLever project showed a scenario where a cognitively impaired individual and her parent were able to use a combination of software and hardware to empower the cognitively impaired woman to have more independence. With the help of the technology she was able to use public transport and travel to a certain location to meet up with friends. This brings up a few very interesting aspects of the digital divide. For one, it points out that the digital divide is not a deliberate conspiracy to exclude certain groups, as some seem to envision it. Obviously technology designers don't have a deliberate desire to keep cognitively impaired individuals from using their systems. They have simply been an overlooked user group, at least partially because of the lack of economic opportunities associated with making technology targeted towards this particular group.
Also interesting is the fact that we tend to think of bridging the digital divide as enabling some group to have access to the same IT that other groups already have, but that is not the case here. Cognitively "able" (couldn't think of a better term) people don't have a need for this system, at least not as it was presented in the video. Instead, the divide is being bridged with a new type of IT designed specifically for a particular excluded group.
