The fast advancement and dissemination of information and communication
technologies (ICTs) has drastically changed numerous parts of life and societies
around the world. Information and communication technology, particularly the Internet, have influenced the way we all interact, live, seek education and associate in numerous ways. Today, ICTs have turned into an indispensable part of developed nations. ICTs have the potential to bolster monetary development, to give opportunities, and to expand democracy in developing countries. Yet, numerous developing nations have not possessed the capacity to take advantage of the numerous opened doors offered by ICTs. There are note worthy contrasts between developed and non-developed countries as far as getting to and utilizing information and communication technologies. This is defined as global digital divide.
Additionally, there are also distinctive types of digital divides, for example the gender divide, the age divide, and the income divide. Although developing countries reap the benefits of ICTs in most, if not all areas of their lives, developing countries do not share in these advantages. As a result of advances in information technologies, the knowledge gaps between the information-rich and the information-poor have deepened over time and that has caused excluding parts of the world from enjoying the fruits of the global village (Iskandarani, 2008). Because of this, people have begun to notice the phenomenon that the digital divide may actually exist. They claim that there is a significant digital divide between poor and rich countries in the use of ICT and the availability of complementary assets such as telecommunications networks and skilled ICT professionals (Genus & Nor, 2007; Shih, Kraemer, & Dedrick, 2008). Indeed ICT has become cheaper and more accessible and so a growth in the telecommunications infrastructure is seen.
However, the main aim of this paper is to explore and analyse whether technology is really deepening the economic gap between the rich and the poor to the huge extent that is implied. Does this invisible line separate the rich from the poor, men from women, the educated from the illiterate be accepted as one of the most prevalent issues of our time?
The Digital Divide
The digital divide can be characterized as “the gap between individuals, households, businesses and geographic areas at different socio-economic levels with regard to both to their opportunities to access ICTs and to their use of the Internet for a wide variety of activities” (OECD, 2001, P 5). The worldwide advanced separation alludes to contrasts between the rich and the poor as far as access to ICTs. ICTs access inequality is called as the first order digital divide (Jin & Cheong, 2008). The digital divide problem has geographic, demographic, and socio-economic dimensions (Yuguchi, 2008). The expression “digital divide” was presented by Larry Irving Jr., previous US Assistant Secretary of Business for Telecommunication and Communication in the mid-1990s so as to center open consideration on the current gap to access information services between those who can afford to purchase a computer and software necessary to participate in the global information network, and low income families and communities who cannot (Boje & Dragulanescu, 2003). Wilson (2004, p.300) describes the digital divide as an “inequality in access, distribution and use of information and communication technologies between two or more populations.” Financial divide is one of the eight aspects of the digital divide according to Wilson. There are also sociological and philosophical issues of the digital divide because of the potential missed opportunity on the part of millions of people to obtain desirable jobs and enhance their lives by using computers and the Internet (Friedman, 2001). The digital divide refers to unequal patterns of material access to, usage capabilities of, and benefits from computer-based information and communication technologies that are caused by certain stratification processes that produce classes of winners and losers of the information society, and participation in institutions governing ICTs and society (Fuchs & Horak, 2007). “Low income countries account for 40 percent of the World’s population and 1 percent of its gross national income. Yet, of 242 million Internet users worldwide in 1999, only 5 million, or about two percent, were in low-income countries. Of 110,498 secure servers worldwide that use encryption technologies in Internet transactions, only
224, or 0.2 percent, are in low-income countries (Kenny, 2002).
When all is said in done the well off individuals are seen as the ones who can stand to buy the innovation and secure the abilities important to utilize it while the poor are limited by boundaries, for example, destitution and absence of education, this is standard for the Digital Divide idea. Numerous contend that the presence of the Digital Divide is a myth; it just does not exist. Those who review the Digital Divide as a myth [Samuelson, 2002] site illustrations of the expanded access to PCs and the Internet. PCs are presently less expensive to purchase and simpler to utilize. Falling costs and ability necessities propose that regardless of the possibility that there was an Advanced Divide it must be contracting. The plenitude of digital cafes makes PCs and the Internet open to the overall population. PC Literacy courses are currently obligatory in schools, guaranteeing that understudies figure out how to utilize the innovation at a youthful age.
One inquires whether the students’ lives have been fundamentally enhanced as result of PC education. Understudies still must have the capacity to peruse and reason keeping in mind the end goal to learn the innovation; these abilities are the ones that are generally imperative.
PCs were never the wellspring of any ones poverty. Increased focus ought to be put on giving the essential necessities to living rather than therapeutic government activity to “bridge the gap”. The Digital Divide is insignificant to the individuals who do not have the fundamental essentials, for example, sufficient nourishment, essential human services, fundamental instruction, safe water and sterile living conditions.
Then again, there are the individuals who trust that the Digital separation does for sure exist. It is trusted that obstructions, for example, destitution, absence of education thus on are keeping individuals away from having access to PCs and the Internet. As said before just the well off can afford the innovation, particularly the most progressive machines and programming. Poor people, once in a while in the part of ethnic minorities, are the ones profiting slightest from access to PCs and Internet innovation.
The thought of shutting the Digital Divide is currently at the center of numerous poverty reduction endeavors.
Political pioneers in numerous developing nations, having neglected to address destitution in their nations, are getting a handle on new advances and worldwide exchange as their last best option to raise their populations’ way of life (Venkat 2002). Venkat questions whether the Digital Divide is a reason for poverty or an impact of the hidden social and monetary partitions. The United Nations Improvement Program (UNDP) in its Human Development Report for 2001 has referred to evidence demonstrating that the present digital divide is following the income divide everywhere in the world. As business sector strengths proliferate new advancements, individuals who are doing moderately well are prone to advantage the most, fortifying the longstanding monetary inconsistencies between the rich and poor.
The digital divide is genuine for the individuals who have moved past acquiring the fundamental necessities of life and are presently kept down by an absence of access to innovation. They have basically fulfilled their fundamental living needs and are currently hoping to enhance their lives by means of the utilization of innovation. So the Digital Divide is genuine in a few occurrences where the innovation can be utilized to enhance the way of life of a few individuals. Access to data innovation can’t be helpful unless essential needs are met. Genuine answers for profound neediness will need to reach underneath the Digital Partition and defy the fundamental aberrations in the public arena.
Non-access to innovation develops the contrasts between the rich and poor people in the following ways:
⦁ Unequal chances to exchange and take part in E-trade.
⦁ Unequal access to correspondence and data.
⦁ Tackling this issue does not ensure the lessening or disposal of poverty
⦁ This idea may depict minority bunches as technophobic philanthropy cases without the longing to receive new advances all alone.
Table 1
Arguments for the existence of the
Digital divide Arguments against the existence of the
Digital divide
⦁ The wealthy are the ones that can
afford to access technology and
software, especially the most advanced
in these areas.
⦁ The poor are unable to purchase
technology because of the high cost.
⦁ The poor are also restricted by a lack
of skill in terms of computer usage and
in many cases are illiterate.
⦁ Poor countries do not benefit from
Internet access at school for school
children or via Cyber cafes for the
general public.
⦁ The Digital Divide is seen as a
reflection of the Economic Divide
around the world.
⦁ Minority groups are the ones suffering
the most in developing countries from
this lack of access to technology. ⦁ Computers are cheaper to purchase as a
result of falling prices making them
more accessible to lower income
families.
⦁ Computers are increasingly easier to
use and require less skill to operate
them, making it a less complex task to
those with lower skills.
⦁ There is widespread Internet access
available to everyone in most countries
through schools and cafes.
⦁ Access to information technology
cannot be useful unless basic needs
such as health and education are met.
Conclusion
Even as technology becomes more affordable and Internet access seems increasingly ubiquitous, a “digital divide” between rich and poor remains. The rich and educated are still more likely than others to have good access to digital resources according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project. The digital divide has especially far-reaching consequences when it comes to education. For children in low-income school districts, inadequate access to technology can hinder them from learning the tech skills that are crucial to success in today’s economy and for personal advancement.
Bibliography
Charp, Sylvia (2001) “Bridging the Digital Divide” The Journal Volume 28, Issue 10
http://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/cs201/projects/digital-divide/start.html
Jalava, J., & Pohjola, M. (2001). Economic growth in the new economy: Evidence from advanced economies. WIDER Discussion Paper WDP 2001/05. Helsinki: UNU/WIDER. Retrieved October 22, 2010, from http://www.wider.unu.edu/publications/working-papers/discussion-papers/2001/en_GB/dp2001- 05/_files/78091776211879621/default/dp2001-05.pdf
Hausaleshka, Daylo (2001) “The Digital Divide” Macleans, Volume 114, Issue 11, p.46
Instructions for powerpoint presentation
PowerPoint Presentation Prepare, rehearse and present to the class a presentation on your report. The presentation must have 25 PowerPoint slides that automatically advance every 20 seconds. You will need to be selective as to the content you present. Understandably the online environment presents some added challenges to this task, but in no way renders it impossible. Consider for example this presentation on SlideShare. Other tools such as AuthorStream or the built in narration tools in PowerPoint are bring the power of in person presentations to remote audiences. You can use any of these tools to deliver your presentation. The presentation must include a both an audio and visual component – very similar to an ‘in person’ presentation. Scripting the text of the audio will help with recording later. Text is limited to 6 lines per slide and each line cannot have more than 6 words. However, your presentation must follow the suggestions from Garr Renyolds presentation tips. Make sure to use high quality photos. Make sure to check your marking rubric to make sure you’ve covered all requirements. Presentation must follow APA reference style. Submit a link to your online presentation in the Discussion forms under ‘Presentations’ and also upload the same link into the Assignment Tool within BlackBoard. This must be completed by the end of week 13.
For Siddharth2: I just want the power point and a script for the power point written. I will voice the script with a video of myself voicing it. Please make it as interesting as possible. The rubic below is to help you.
Section
Scoring Level
Requirements
Points
Visual Content
9‐10 excellent
7‐8 good
5‐6 satisfactory
0‐4 poor
clear introduction to topic
– material is current, clear and relevant
– explain linkages between theory and learning
– referencing specific theories and concepts
– meaningful justification
– strong, supported argument
– all vital points covered – strong conclusion
/10
Audio Content (Narration)
9‐10 excellent
7‐8 good
5‐6 satisfactory
0‐4 poor
– clear introduction to topic
– material is current, clear and relevant
– all vital points covered – strong conclusion
– explain linkages between theory and learning
– referencing specific theories and concepts
– meaningful justification
– strong, supported argument
– all vital points covered – strong conclusion
– Each member contributes
/10
Overall Structural Quality
9‐10 excellent
7‐8 good
5‐6 satisfactory
0‐4 poor
– proper grammar
– correct spelling
– complete bibliography – APA reference style
/10
Presentation
9‐10 excellent
7‐8 good
5‐6 satisfactory
0‐4 poor
each slide contents only one main point
– 20 slides auto advance every 20 seconds
– Text is limited to 6 lines and 6 words per line
/10
Creativity
9‐10 excellent
7‐8 good
5‐6 satisfactory
0‐4 poor
visuals professional & creative
– Follows Garr Renyolds’ presentation tips
/10
TOTAL /50
PERCENT OF FINAL MARK /10
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