Analysis of Digital Divide.

RAMIFICATIONS OF RISE OF IT!


The term 'digital divide' describes the fact that the world can be divided into people who do and people who don't have access to - and the capability to use - modern information technology, such as the telephone, television, or the Internet. The digital divide also exists between the educated and the uneducated, between economic classes, and, globally, between the more and less industrially developed nations. It is a social issue referring to the differing amount of information between those who have access to the Internet and those who do not. The term became popular among concerned parties, such as scholars, policy makers, and advocacy groups, in the late 1990s. Broadly speaking, the difference is not necessarily determined by the access to the Internet, but by access to ICT (Information and Communications Technologies) and to Media that the different segments of society can use. With regards to the Internet, the access is only one aspect, other factors such as the quality of connection and related services should be considered. Today the most discussed issue is the availability of the access at an affordable cost and quality. The problem is often discussed in an international context, indicating certain countries are far more equipped than other developing countries to exploit the benefits from the rapidly expanding Internet.
 

The idea that some information and communication technologies are vital to quality civic life is not new. Some suggest that the Internet and other ICTs are somehow transforming society, improving our mutual understanding, eliminating power differentials, realizing a truly free and democratic world society, and other benefits. In many countries, access to the telephone system is considered such a vital element that governments implement various policies to offer affordable telephone service. Unfortunately some countries lack sufficient telephone lines.
Literacy is arguably another such element, although it is not related to any new technologies or latest technological devices. It is a very widely shared view in many societies that being literate is essential to one's career, to self-guided learning, to political participation, and to Internet usage.
There are a variety of arguments regarding why closing the digital divide is important. The major arguments are the following:

1. Economic equality- Some think that the access to the Internet is a basic component of civil life that some developed countries aim to guarantee for their citizens. Telephone is often considered important for security reasons. Health, criminal, and other types of emergencies might indeed be handled better if the person in trouble has an access to the telephone. Another important fact seems to be that much vital information for people's career, civic life, safety, etc. are increasingly provided via the Internet.

2. Social mobility- Some believe that computer and computer networks play an increasingly important role in their learning and career, so that education should include that of computing and use of the Internet. Without such offerings, the existing digital divide works unfairly to the children in the lower socioeconomic status.

3. Democracy-Internet would lead to a healthier democracy in one way or another. Among the most ambitious visions are that of increased public participation in elections and decision making processes.
4. Economic growth-Some think that the development of information infrastructure and active use of it would be a shortcut to economic growth for less developed nations. Information technologies in general tend to be associated with productivity improvements.

Also there are various tests that digital divide faces like;
Rural areas access
The accessibility of rural areas to the Internet is a test of the digital divide. But nowadays there are different ways to eliminate the digital divide in rural areas. Use of Power lines (PLT and PLC) and satellite communications offer new possibilities of universal access to the Internet, and lack of telephone lines will not limit access. Lower access prices are required to bridge the ICT divide.
Disabilities
Disabilities of potential Internet users constitute another type of divide and care should be taken to avoid that persons with disabilities be left out of Internet access.
 

The second-level digital divide, also referred to as the production gap, describes the gap that separates the consumers of content on the internet from the producers of content. As the technological digital divide is decreasing between those with access to the internet and those without, the meaning of the term digital divide is evolving. Previously, digital divide research has focused on accessibility to the internet and internet consumption. However, with more and more of the population with access to the internet, researchers are examining how people use the internet to create content and what impact socioeconomics are having on user behavior.New applications have made it possible for anyone with a computer and an internet connection to be a creator of content, yet the majority of user generated content available widely on the internet, like public blogs, is created by a small portion of the internet using population. Web 2.0 technologies like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Blogs enable users to participate online and create content without having to understand how the technology actually works, leading to an ever increasing digital divide between those who have the skills and understanding to interact more fully with the technology and those who are passive consumers of it. Some of the reasons for this production gap include material factors like the type of internet connection one has and the frequency of access to the internet. The more frequently a person has access to the internet and the faster the connection, the more opportunities they have to gain the technology skills and the more time they have to be creative. Other reasons include cultural factors often associated with class and socioeconomic status. Users of lower socioeconomic status are less likely to participate in content creation due to disadvantages in education and lack of the necessary free time for the work involved in blog or web site creation and maintenance. Since gender, age, racial, income, and educational gaps in the digital divide have lessened compared to past levels, some researchers suggest that the digital divide is shifting from a gap in access and connectivity to ICTs to a knowledge divide. Minimizing the global digital divide requires considering and addressing physical, financial, socio-demographic, cognitive, design, institutional, political and cultural access. Offering the whole world a phone and a computer screen will not in itself help bridge the “digital divide” opening up across the world. The technology is practically worthless unless people are equipped with the know-how, and the willingness, to use it. Those who cannot use it confidently, will become increasingly marginalized within the modern world. It is necessary but not sufficient to provide avenues to information and knowledge. What is more important is to empower people with appropriate educational, cognitive and behavioural skills and tools. The international community is well aware of the problem for developing countries, but it does not stop there. Industrial countries are also struggling with a widening gap between groups at different educational and income levels, raising fears that entire sectors of society may be excluded because of their inability to use, or afford, ICT. If schools have the computers, they need fully trained teachers to make use of them. The neglect of teacher ICT training, which tends to lag behind physical investment, is a major obstacle. Disadvantaged groups can be identified in advanced countries, such as linguistic and ethnic minorities, those who live in isolated communities and those who are socially excluded, for whatever reason. Women in many societies are much less likely than men to have access to ICT. And there may be inter-generational gaps, such as for men in mid-life whose work skills are no longer in demand, whose modest educational achievements have left them ill-equipped even to want to become computer literate. For some, the workplace stimulates awareness of the potential of ICT and promotes the development of ICT skills. Others, lacking this incentive, are left aside. Digital literacy is worthwhile not only for its own sake; it can contribute handsomely to overcoming severe structural weaknesses within society. The flexibility and versatility of e-learning may transform the situation of adults who had little formal education, or who achieved little educational success in earlier life. E-commerce and e-governance can increase level of transparency in governance and monetary transactions too. Familiarity with ICT may provide an entrée into corporate life for those who were previously excluded. It may draw more of the population into the decision-making of the democratic process, thereby making for a society more at ease with itself. For many, ICT becomes the key to lifelong learning, and once the habits of lifelong learning are widely in place, learning becomes the key to capitalizing on the huge potential benefits of ICT.