To what extent is lack of IT skills the primary cause behind the digital divide in the UK - Essay Example

IT serves three main purposes, which are enhancing democracy, knowledge of the economy as well as personal fulfillment of general knowledge. However, diverse surveys in UK show that there are inequalities by age, gender and socioeconomic status in relation to lack of IT skills among students between 7-19 years (Livingstone & Helsper, 2007). Addressing the reasons causing digital divide and solutions to the menace has been one of the UK public agenda for a long time. Over the years, diverse stakeholders argue not all Britain citizens reap from the merits that come along with Information Technology (IT) literacy as well as ICT skills.

According to Livingstone, Thumim and Couvering, IT literacy entails the ability to access, understand and create communications in a variety of contexts (Livingstone, Thumim and Couvering, 2007). Digital divide in a society brings about inclusion as well as exclusion with the gap of the poor and the rich widening by the day. There are varied advantages of a society having access to online information as well as ICT knowhow. However, there are also diverse disadvantages of a society not having ICT skills, which results to digital division between the two entities of a society (Livingstone, Thumim& Couvering, n.d). .

In this number, which reflects of around 10 million British citizens, half of them comprise the most economically and socially challenged in the society. The latter is due to lack of the fundamental information that comes from ICT skills and Internet access in general. Those who do not posses any internet skills and information are mainly due to affordability, public awareness and lack of self-motivation towards internet aspects (Livingstone & Helsper, 2007). Source of information UK is turning to be more highly skilled and productive workforce capable of adapting to an ever-changing job market.

However, lack of IT skills in the society is a major contributor behind the digital divide currently experienced in UK. Information technology literacy encourages timely access to vital information on varied issues in the world. Generally, there has been an increasing number of foreign people in UK that comprise a significant portion of the working force (Livingstone & Helsper, 2007). However, due to a significant number of British citizens with limited internet access, they end up being excluded from the rest of the world thus lack vital information found online.

For instance, buying goods and services in Britain by use of online platform is economical because one enjoys significant discounts (Livingstone, Thumim& Couvering, n.d). Many shops and enterprises offer reduced prices of goods when one purchases them online. Those left out on internet accessibility lack this vital information prompting them incurring extra costs while purchasing goods and services (Fuseworks Media, 2010). Democracy One of the great aspects characterizing Information Technology encompasses encouraging openness among people of a certain society (Espitein, Nisbet &