Can We Close the Technology Gap?
The digital divide is defined as, “the economic, education, and social inequalities between those who have computers and online access and those who do not” (Merriam-Webster). It can vary from country to country, city to city, to even our next-door neighbors. Although we live in a technologically advanced country, not everyone has the same accessibility to the digital world.
The Affordable Connectivity Program was created in 2021. It helped enroll qualifying households with a $30 monthly credit toward broadband service. The program also sells laptops, tablets, and computers at a low cost. However, there is still the issue of not having the funds to be able to purchase the devices. Libraries can be a great free asset to solve both issues if someone has access to one.
Digital inclusion would allow more people to have access to digital literacy, jobs, and online learning/school. But how do we close the gap? Wolske notes that “digital inclusion and equity is more than an individual issue. It is a community and social issue that requires a high-quality infrastructure not only at the backbone of the Internet but at each end-point as well and all nodes in between.”
Digital devices and access have become such a big normal part of our daily lives that we tend to forget that not everyone has the same convenience. In all reality, like many other things we may have taken for granted, “we never realize how lucky we are to actually have this access.” (Linglala, A.) How do we create inclusion within the digital world, and is it even possible?
Citations:
Merriam-Webster, "Digital Divide,"
accessed November 28, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/digital%20divide.
Wolske, M. (2020). Person-centered guide to demystifying
technology: Working together to observe/ question/ design/ prototype/ and implement/reject
technology in support of people's valued beings and doings. Windsor & Downs Press.
Linglala, Arjun. TEDxChelmsfordHS. (2022, April 05). The Digital Divide. YouTube. Retrieved November 28, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZe4AoZ2Pv8&t=2s
Hi Christine, people here in the US are very fortunate. Unlike in developed countries, you can only have a computer if you have money. They have these bridges like libraries and schools, and not only that, I heard Seattle has this program that gives low-cost, free laptops or discounts to those eligible.
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