The Digital Divide: What Is It And Why It

Matters

By Andrew Laubmeier

What is the Digital Divide?

Any guesses?

Definition

Digital Divide refers to the ever expanding gap between those who have access to information technology (the internet) and those who do not.

Affects millions of people throughout the world.

Economic & civil rights issue in today’s world.

Digital Divide

Internet is something we often take for granted.

As Americans we enjoy one of the highest per capita internet usage rates on earth

Internet is part of our daily lives

Everyone Stand Up!

Sit down if…

Sit Down If…

You know how to use Adobe InDesign

Sit Down If…

You have a Tumblr account

Sit Down If…

You have a Twitter account

Sit Down If…

You know how to use Microsoft Word

Sit Down If…

You have a Facebook Account

Point of Excersise

You should all be sitting down by now

Displays how heavily we rely on the Internet & personal computers in everyday life

This is certainly not the norm for people on a global scale

Digital Divide Across the World

Notice anything about dispersion of computer usage on the map?

The global north much more technologically advanced than global south.

Due to the prominence of majority of first world countries in global north (US, Europe, Japan etc.)

In 2004, less than 3 out of every 100 Africans had internet access.

Top 20 countries in terms of bandwith make up 80% of all internet users. (TechMission)

What causes Digital Divide?

Carvin points to 5 main issues 1. Access – People simply don’t have internet access (due to high cost of computers & internet) 2. Content – Internet offers much more than Facebook & shopping, provides outlet for learning 3. Literacy – One can’t use the internet if they can’t read4. Pedagogy – How computers & internet are taught in schools5. Community – People don’t take advantage of community building websites and programs as much as they should

Why does it matter?

Direct correlation between internet access and income.

95% of American households earning $75,000 or more had internet access.

Compared to 70% of American households earning less than $75,000 having access (Pew Institute).

Internet & computers are essential in higher education and work force.

How can Digital Divide be closed?

Goal of many activists and philanthropists to even out this massive difference in computer literacy globally.

One Laptop Per Child Program

Chairman of OLPC on Colbert

Movement in right direction.

Get into groups of 3

How can you as high school students in the United States help close the Digital Divide?

Conclusion

Digital Divide is the gap between those who have computer/internet access and those who do not

Affects millions of people throughout the globe

Numerous causes of it

One day, hopefully will be closed

Citations

Carvin. (2000). Mind the Gap: The Digital Divide as the Civil Rights Issue of the New Millennium

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/363111/october-25-2010/nicholas-negroponte

http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Better-off-households.aspx

http://www.urbanministry.org/wiki/international-digital-divide-statistics

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-M77C2ejTw