Addressing the Digital Divide - Research Paper Example

Addressing the Digital Divide Abstract The digital divide has many definitions. However, all of them focus on issues related to lack of access to digital technology. The use of this technology got in to the public domain in the late 1990s. So far it has not reached majority of the world’s population. It has led to enlargement of the exclusion of some communities attributed to the capability of accessing digital technology by some while others can not. There are several perceived impacts of the digital divide on the different user groups. Stakeholders are trying to address the digital divide in order to reduce these impacts. However, they are normally faced with conflicts in their endeavors. They offer support alongside policy implementation to benefit various excluded groups in the society. Introduction People define the digital divide differently, making it to have a number of different definitions. Some define it as the gap that exists between the people whom information and computer technology benefits and those whom it does not. Harris (2004 p. 68) views the digital divide as an irregular distribution of accessibility of computers amongst people. This means accessibility to computer services, knowledge and information is not accessible to all. Keniston (2002 p.49) believes that “the digital divide is a break that separates the haves and the have-nots”. He views the digital divide from the affordability point of view which tends to classify the access of computers in terms of the purchasing power of the people, the availability of funds to pay for broad band connection or payments to acquire skills and training. However, from all these definitions, it can be generally inferred that digital divide is concerned with accessibility to digital technology, whereby a gap exists between those who can make use of it and those who can not. Extensive use of the internet in the public sphere began in the late 1990s, with the “World Wide Web becoming the most superior storage area of human knowledge” (Mark 2002), for the people who are capable of adding information and also retrieving it from the Web. Such people are capable of communicating, sharing information, researching, and even conducting business among other things that are significant for development. This essay is a critical discussion on how a growing social divide is being addressed by the theoretical concept of social inclusion and exclusion. Several conflicts that are likely to occur between stakeholders addressing the digital divide and the reasons that may lead to this have been analyzed. The types of support that could be used alongside policy implementation to benefit various excluded groups in the society have been discussed as well as the perceived impact of the digital divide on the different user groups with particular focus on the well being of communities Addressing the Digital Divide Acquiring of digital technology is expensive, making it unaffordable to many people. On the other hand, its use requires knowledge and skills acquired through education, and therefore the uneducated and those lacking these skills are eliminated from the group that benefits from this technology. This is mainly what generates the digital divide. It was established through research that “by 2003, the services of the World Wide Web were only accessible to a mere 7% of the world population” (NielsenNetRatings, 2003). This indicates a large digital divide that still exists among the world’s population. In trying to address this issue, stakeholders in social welfare understand that the right to acquire vital information is significant in the considerations of public policy formulation. In several occasions, lack of access to information has been blamed for the suffering that humans undergo. Social networking is enhanced by digital technology, meaning that for those who it is inaccessible possibly due to poverty, location of residents and other restrictions in regard to culture or education, it is not achievable. In order to effectively address the digital divide, it is important to understand the various aspects of digital divides that exist in the world’s population. They include difference in those living in urban and rural areas, whereby the rural areas are most likely to be inaccessible for digital technology such as broad band connections, since providers of such services concentrate on urban centers. Learning institutions are also mainly located in urban centers where this technology is available, and therefore the rural communities may not get a chance to acquire skills in digital technology. There also exists a digital divide between the old and the young. As stated earlier, the digital technology that mainly reached the public sphere in the late 1990s may not be favorable to those who studied earlier unless they train once more, a factor that may be hampered by limited time due to work and other responsibilities (Tonkiss, 2006 pp.69-73). The young therefore have a high potential of accessing digital technology, thereby creating a social divide (Keniston, 2002 p.32). Disability is also another factor that enhances the development of a digital divide. There are usually few specialized training centers dealing with digital technology centers for the disabled. This creates social exclusion since they do not attain the desired skills to enable them to use digital technology. Another aspect of digital divide is usually exhibited between developed and the less developed economies. By 2003 when 7% of the world’s population could access digital technology, only few of the people in the less developed countries could access this technology (NielsenNetRatings, 2003). It is only recently that the number of those with this access has risen by a small percentage. These countries are usually faced with economic problems, with their populations suffering from severe hunger, health problems and lack of basic needs. Priority is therefore given to such issues with technological advancement coming afterwards. With the meager economic resources possessed by the less developed nations, it is usually difficult for such countries to acquire much in digital technology. Northern Asia, European countries and Nothern America have an easy access to technology while the southern Asia, Africa and South America do not. Language is a major cause of the digital divide since most of the “websites are usually in English, with a few in other languages such as Japanese, German and French” (Keniston, 2002 p.86). Many of the world languages are not represented in the web, which creates a scarcity of information in a high population, thereby enlarging the social divide. Supporting Excluded Groups in the Society Production of computers that are cheap and long-lasting is one of the major steps that can enhance the affordability of computers in the socially excluded groups amongst the world populations. To further facilitate the ownership of computers, their distribution can be undertaken by the rich nations. Overcoming language barriers can be achieved through translation of the common languages in the web to understandable local languages of less developed countries. Reforms in the social and economic structures are necessary in order to ensure that these populations are ready for the new technology. Otherwise, it may not be useful to the people if they do not have any use for digital technology. In order to succeed in supporting these groups, it is important to establish the prevailing needs, so as to offer assistance that best suits the population (Warshauer, 2003 p. 101). Reducing the cost of connection to the internet can be effective in reducing the digital divide. Many people can not afford connections to the broad band, and the costs of using the services continuously. Governments from especially the less developed countries that are largely affected by the negative impacts of the digital divide need to open up their markets in order for investors and service providers to have a welcoming environment for investment. Lowering of tariff barriers is significant in encouraging dealers in digital technology to offer goods and services at a cheaper price (Pippa. 2001 p. 66). This is because the main impediment towards accessing digital technology is usually lack of finances to purchase the costly equipments and services. Many companies need to be encouraged to participate in provision of services, which is significant in cost reduction. Bringing services closer to the public is supportive to the excluded groups in the society, which is significant in reducing the social divide. In order for communities to access digital technology with ease, it is important to set up particular points where people can access technology without incurring so many expenses, which makes internet and computers affordable. These include Internet cafés, community computer access points and such places where training and other services can be offered. These access points provide an important avenue for promotion activities involving digital technology that is significant in covering a wide community. Improving accessibility to rural areas that are remote is important in ensuring that service providers reach the communities with ease. Promotion of research and development in is essential in ensuring that the technology transfer to the excluded groups is appropriate and cost-effective (NielsenNetRatings, 2003). Establishment of points of internet exchange is important in ensuring that private investors are motivated in providing internet to the less developed countries. This should be accompanied by establishment of the appropriate infrastructure in order to facilitate movement to the rural excluded communities Knowledge is significant in determining the usefulness of technology to the excluded community. They can be supported through training on computer technology in order for them to acquire skills for using the digital equipments and services. Supporting children in educational institutions to acquire this knowledge is important. This can be done through provision of ICT equipment and training of teachers in order for them to be adequately prepared for passing this knowledge to as many children as possible (Wresch 1996 p. 71). This is important in ensuring that student digital literacy is upheld. In the educational institutions, it is necessary to promote the use of internet in order to enhance learning especially in higher institutions of learning such as universities. Teachers can also gain a great deal of knowledge from the use of internet. Promotion of elearning is significant in offering the students a diversity of information from sources beyond their reach. Through it, they can acquire knowledge that is offered globally, which broadens their thinking to a greater extent than the local education. They begin thinking in a global perspective. This also allows the excluded communities living in undeveloped regions to acquire knowledge through distance learning programs. Centers for ICT can be established and linked to universities in order to ensure that university education is close to the recommended international standards. Vocational training is also significant in ensuring that continuous upgrading is conducted amongst employees in less developed nations. This ensures that they are updated on the constantly changing technology. Cyber-mentoring is significant in provision of advice to businesspeople from the less developed nations. This is usually enhanced through the internet. More over, the well established businesses with expertise in information technology can be useful through sacrificing their time to train others in the developing country (Mark 2002). Employers can facilitate this through allowing their employees to participate in such activities during part of their working time. The developed nations can support less developed countries in acquiring skills and ICT equipments through incorporating them in their programs for offering aid to the less developed countries. Credit facilities can be useful in supporting such programs. Through this assistance, the less developed countries are able to understand better the global policies regarding participation in the ICT industry as well as the internet. They learn from the expertise of the developed countries especially when they are involved in the decision making process on matters concerning global ICT policies (Warshauer, 2003 p. 81) Conflicts between Stakeholders addressing the Digital Divide Stakeholders are usually faced with problems regarding competitiveness in their endeavors to address the digital divide. Access to resources amongst the stakeholders involved is usually different and therefore conflicts may arise while defining the role of each of them. At times it may not be clear on their functions which are usually prone to political interference especially if some of the stakeholders have something to gain from the socially excluded. Others may be interested in pushing forward individual agendas in order to emerge the major stakeholder in the process (Swaminathan, 2001). This especially is exhibited in situations whereby some of the stakeholders are the ones to supply some of the equipment. They tend to ensure that the opportunity to develop a market for their products is utilized. This may not be acceptable to the others and may eventually generate conflicts amongst the stakeholders. Organizational structures are significant in the realization of the set goals. Its absence may hinder realization of the objectives. This is usually brought about by the presence of distinct philosophies, with each stakeholder holding their policies as superior. If they do not come to a consensus regarding the course of action, it is most likely that there will be conflicts that eventually hamper realization of the goals. On the other hand, the team needs to follow a carefully planned process. They should be aiming at a common goal, which each stakeholder is supposed to follow. Independent goals may lead to conflicting ideas in regard to the action to be undertaken. More over, there should be some one to facilitate the process (Keniston, 2002 p.36). Such a person or organization helps in harmonizing the stake holder’s interests since they have no attached interest in the activities. The work of a facilitator is to help the stakeholders to achieve a particular goal. Absence of a facilitator may lead to failure in the stake holder’s efforts. Conflicts amongst stake holders may arise due to the failure of monitoring and evaluation of progress. This process should be harmonized in order to come up with a superior plan that is important in determining whether the targets are being achieved. Absence of a proper monitoring and evaluation is especially exhibited by stakeholders who lack proper decision making structures. For them, it is usually difficult to make decisions and they tend to realize that they have failed in the end. On the other hand, technical aspects may influence the cooperation of stakeholders. There may not be adequate staff or time for the activities. The proximity of the excluded community to stakeholders also matters. Operating from a long distance may cause conflicts in the operations of stakeholders (Swaminathan, 2001). In order to promote the desired social inclusion of communities excluded by the digital divide, it is important to have personnel who are willing to offer expertise in their efforts to reduce the digital divide. They need to have a positive attitude towards change, and commitment towards satisfying the needs of the community. The administration of the stakeholders should be ready to uphold the efforts of the personnel in order to generate the desired enthusiasm in reducing the social exclusion (Wresch 1996 p.56). The underlying issues should be known in order to identify the starting point and develop the most appropriate approach in bringing change to the socially excluded community. The stakeholders need to posses a sense of ownership in order to participate effectively in the process without dropping uncompleted work. Without adhering to these factors that are necessary in the success of stakeholders’ objectives, there is a likelihood of conflicts that may eventually result in some of them pulling out. On the other hand, lack of proper organization may result in duplication of work and resources which may not be effective in realization of the overall goal (Kling, 1998 p. 66). Impact of the Digital Divide on the different User Groups The digital divide adversely affects the groups that are excluded. It leads to inequality in terms of the information that can be accessed by the public. For example essential information can be accessed through the broad band but those who can not access it are usually left out when the vital information helps the ones who can access. It has come to a point where those who have access to digital technology can not do without it (Swaminathan, 2001). There are times when advertisements on an essential commodity, information on health, jobs as well as news are posted in the internet. After a brief introduction, the announcement ends with “visit our website for further details...” It is usually frustrating for those who can not access the internet since they get insufficient information on something, and they are sure that they can not access the internet for more. The qualified people for a particular post advertised in the internet may never have a chance to present their applications due to its inaccessibility or the inability to use digital technology. Communication through the internet may never help the excluded, making them unable to express their feelings on particular issues that affect them. They may also have something to contribute in regard to policy making, but they may never have a chance to do so. They use the traditional methods for communication, which are not effective when communicating long distance relations. They can not access the diversity of knowledge available in the internet (Swaminathan, 2001). However, there are some undesirable impacts on the people who can access the internet. For example the online schools are denying the students the essential traditional ways of socializing in schools. On the other hand, schools especially in Colorado are loosing their students to online schools, which are affecting their source of finance. Kaplinsky (2005 p.95) observes that “the Branson Online School has contributed to take students who would rather have spent their money in Colorado schools”. In such a case, the schools in the district are left without sufficient finances. It is also believed that online education may not be up to standards. Students in the traditional institutions were found to perform well in standard tests in Florida than their counterparts in online schools (Mark 2002). The parental guidance and the discipline from teachers lacks in these schools, which may lower the quality of education. It is known to contribute to early dropout rates at an early age of 16 years. Conclusion The digital divide leads to the social exclusion of mainly the poor in the world communities who can not afford digital technology. They lack the fundamental skills in digital technology that are significant for personal development. In order to address the digital divide, stakeholders have come up with techniques that enhance information sharing amongst the excluded populations. However, they are faced with a number of conflicts while doing so. These are usually caused by lack of harmonization of their operations in order to achieve a common goal. The impact of the digital divide is both positive and negative to the groups that use it. Those who do not have access are socially excluded and lack access to essential information that can be useful in poverty reduction. Bibliography 1. Harris P. 2004. Social Inclusion, Globalization and the Commonwealth, London: Palgrave. 2. Kaplinsky, R. 2005 Globalization, poverty and inequality, Cambridge: Polity Press. 3. Keniston, K. 2002. Introduction: The Four Digital Divides. IT Experience in India. Delhi: Sage Publishers. 4. Kling, R. 1998. Technological and Social Access to Computing, Information, and Communication Technologies. White paper for the Presidential Advisory Committee on High-Performance Computing and Communications, Information Technology, and the Next Generation Internet. 5. Mark W. 2002. Reconceptualizing the Digital Divide, viewed on 27th April 2009 at 6. NielsenNetRatings, 2003. Global Internet Index Average Usage, viewed on 27th April 2009 at, 7. Pippa. N. 2001. Digital Divide: Civic Engagement, Information Poverty, and the Internet Worldwide. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press. 8. Swaminathan, M. S. 2001. Antyodaya Pathway of Bridging the Digital Divide, India, viewed on 27th April 2009 at, 9. Tonkiss, F 2006 Contemporary Economic Sociology: globalization, production, inequality, London: Routledge. 10. Warshauer, 2003. Technology and Social Inclusion: Rethinking the Digital Divide, MIT Press. 11. Wresch B. 1996. Disconnected: Haves and Have-nots in the Information Age, John Daly. Read More