Research – Digital Divide

Research – Digital Divide

The digital divide is a term used to refer to the gap between demographics and regions concerning the accessibility of modern information and communications technology (ICT). In this regard, the technology in question may include but is not limited to telephone, personal computers, television, and internet connectivity (Lythreatis et al., 2022). However, in modern society, the term has transitioned to entail the technical and financial ability to utilize the available technology; hence, the gap keeps shifting concerning how technology is utilized. Before the start of the twentieth century, the term digital divide designated the division that occurred between those with and without telephone access. However, during the late 1990s, the term’s meaning had changed to denote the distinction between people with and without internet access, broadly called broadband. Based on this background, it can be ascertained that there is a digital divide both nationally and globally (Lythreatis et al., 2022). Therefore, this paper will evaluate the various types of digital divide, the extent of the global digital divide, the consequences of the digital divide, and the measures that can be undertaken to close this gap.

The digital divide is an issue that is fenced in many countries, hence room for the emergence of different types. The digital divide also exists between men and women because, in 2022, 62% of the global male population was utilizing the Internet, concerning only 57% of the female population (Vassilakopoulou & Hustad, 2023, p. 958). The three broad categories of the digital divide include the access divide, the use divide, and the quality-of-use gap. The access divide refers to the socioeconomic differences among people that affect their ability to acquire devices that can aid them to get online. Many people living in developing countries hardly have access to the Internet, and only a few have the skills required to utilize it effectively. Secondly, the use divide relates to the variation experienced concerning the level of skills possessed by people (Vassilakopoulou & Hustad, 2023). This generational gap in Internet use is influenced by the quality of education an individual receives. Lastly, the quality-of-use gap relates to the various ways people use the Internet; some can acquire the information they require from it as opposed to others.

Notably, over a couple of years, the global digital divide has been perceived as an outcome of economic development. This perspective was based on the expectation that when countries and individuals grow richer, people would be more likely to purchase digital devices, leading to the progressive decline in the digital divide. However, this has not been the case despite the incomes of people rising around the world since accessibility to digital services has stubbornly remained at a low level. The low access to digital services has been brought about by a need for more investment in Internet infrastructure (Vassilakopoulou & Hustad, 2023). Based on this understanding, citizens may have purchased internet-based gadgets but still lack connection to the World Wide Web.

Moreover, the digital divide has affected various facets of human life, including but not limited to education, economy, society, and society. The Internet has been identified as a reservoir of information and knowledge (Watts, 2020). Accordingly, this has positively impacted education because access to the Internet has been linked to academic success. After all, students can easily undertake robust research activities. Furthermore, the digital divide affects the economy because Internet penetration allows people to engage in economically productive activities (Watts, 2020). This is because people can easily shop online and even compare existing prices before purchasing. Regarding social life, people can easily get in touch with friends and even make new friends amidst their busy life schedules. Society has been stratified into classes of people with access to the Internet and those who cannot use ICT services because of either literacy levels or affordability issues.

Conclusively, as discussed above, the digital divide affects many aspects of human life. Therefore, this issue must be addressed through the implementation of various measures. One of the measures of closing the digital divide that is in place is increasing affordability. Computers and smartphones have been identified as being extremely expensive for people to easily acquire because of taxation, patent fees, and electricity issues. Therefore, making these gadgets affordable will ensure that people can easily acquire and utilize them for their day-to-day lives. As an additional measure, respective governments should ensure that they empower users. Governments should partner with Internet service providers like Google and execute workshops where the public is educated on the benefits and value of utilizing the Internet. Also, the public should be encouraged to share their diverse views on user data while utilizing online platforms.

References

Lythreatis, S., Singh, S. K., & El-Kassar, A. N. (2022). The digital divide: A review and future research agenda. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 175, 121359.

Vassilakopoulou, P., & Hustad, E. (2023). Bridging digital divides: A literature review and research agenda for information systems research. Information Systems Frontiers, 25(3), 955-969.

Watts, G. (2020). COVID-19 and the digital divide in the UK. The Lancet Digital Health, 2(8), e395-e396.

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After conducting independent research using at least three sources not used in the class write an essay that determines if there is a “Digital Divide” nationally and globally. If so, what can be done to close the gap, if anything?