The Digital Divide - ED 6381

 

Synthesis

            Nowadays in a society overrun by technology it seems, it is astounding to realize there is still a significant digital divide among people. Unfortunately, not all people are created equal regarding digital access to different forms of technology. But, before one examines the notion of a digital divide, we must first ask ourselves what is a digital divide. A digital divide is created when people from various demographics such as socioeconomic status, race, and educational achievements, lead to a significant separation between people's technological abilities and access to forms of technology. It then becomes an apparent inequality between the people who have and the people who do not have. The first level of the divide is associated with sociodemographic factors. Then the second level divide is associated with factors such as motivations and Internet skills (Seong-Jae Min, 2010).  The ICTs (Information and Communincation Technologies) are supposed to help the development of all people's technology skills. The issue is that it is actually creating a wider set of inequalities for people with various forms of backgrounds. 

        In addition, there is also what is called a democratic divide. This is when there are differences between those actively using the Web for politics and those not. People with an interest in using the Internet for political reasons are found to have a more competent technological skill set than those individuals who do not use the Web for democratic purposes.

According to the Handbook of Research on Overcoming Digital Divides:

“ Yet for many others – typically the poor, the elderly, the undereducated, ethnic minorities – The Internet remains a distant, ambiguous world. Denied regular access to cyberspace by the technical skills necessary to log on, the funds required to purchase a computer, or public policies that assume their needs will be addressed by the market, information have-nots living in the economically advanced world are deprived of many of the benefits that cyberspace could offer them” (Warf, 2019).

Socioeconomic Status and Demographics Disadvantages

        People who come from disadvantaged backgrounds are the ones who have the greatest digital divide. Many factors contribute to this divide and affect many aspects of society. One main component that contributes to this is a low-income household. Income is correlated to one's ability to purchase electronic devices as well as internet access for their home. If people do not have the means to have a computer or device, then they are losing out on gaining knowledge of digital literacy skills. This affects them because they lack technological abilities due to the inability to access them. Some people from economically disadvantaged backgrounds do have computers or devices, but the issue remains they have no reliable internet access. Without access to the Web, they are not getting the most out of their devices which hinders them in obtaining new or vital information. There is an Internet access divide that has great differences in usage. Where certain people having similar backgrounds tend to use the Web more with more advanced skills compared to people with no access (Seong-Jae Min, 2010).  People who have been exposed to computers and the Internet from its early stages have better abilities. They can use technological skills more easily since they have gained more productivity.

        I see this digital divide in my classroom with my students who have not been exposed to various forms of technology from an early age.  Their skills are not as precise as those who have gained adequate skills. Their socioeconomic background has hindered some of my student's technological abilities. In addition, many kids do not have devices or  Internet access at home available to them. This leads to them being limited as to what they can do such as access online libraries to practice their reading and utilize study programs from home. All of these inabilities cause a delay in their digital literacy skills in comparison to those of my students that do have Internet access and devices at home. The lack of skills causes them to struggle with certain digital instruction methods and materials since they do not have the ability to maneuver through them effectively.

"The digital divide raises an important social question, because unequal access to ICTs may cause additional disadvantages for the already marginalized groups in society" (Seong-Jae Min, 2010).

Democratic Divide

        A democratic divide is created with one group of people differing from another in the area of Internet use for political reasons. This creates separation between people's digital civil life. One area where the Internet is bringing new kinds of social interaction is the realm of politics (Seong-Jae Min, 2010). The Internet brought about a big change in the world of politics. It gave people the ability to communicate and bond together on social or democratic issues. It brings people together for a common cause regardless of where they are from and can influence social movements as well. People who actively use the Internet for political affairs, typically have a higher income and higher level of education. Taking these facts into account, it is apparent that the democratic divide only adds to the growing overall digital divide. It causes a greater separation of categories between people and their technological abilities and assets.

"The democratic divide concerns the differences between those who actively use the Web for politics and those who do not. Analysis of General Social Survey data shows there is a democratic divide where political Internet users are individuals with high Internet skills and political interests" (Seong-Jae Min, 2010).

        In conclusion, it is evident that there is a digital divide across all societies. It truly seems like a matter of the have and have-nots. Unfortunately, young children can not change their environments. Each family is unique and comes with its own background and demographics. I think people are a product of their environment especially when it comes to students. If they do not have the access to devices and the Internet at home, then it is the school's responsibility to provide a technology-rich environment with reliable access for them to gain the necessary digital skills they will need throughout their life. Society in general, along with schools must find solutions to fill the digital divide gap. When this is achieved, then we will see more technological equality among students. When they are emersed in such an environment and are provided with adequate devices, robust internet service, and quality technical support, then they may flourish equally. 

 

"One solution to this problem is to build citizens’ digital literacy or capacity. Along with universal access to the Internet, civic education on ICTs and their beneficial use is essential in the current information-based society" (Seong-Jae Min, 2010).

Why this is important to me and my profession 

        I  find this information about the digital divide of importance to me as an educator. I am always striving to build meaningful relationships with my students, and I feel that understanding their diverse backgrounds can lead me to connect with my students on another level. It is important to understand your student's backgrounds and prior knowledge in order for you to have a basis from which to build upon. Knowing about what factors lead to the digital divide help me realize the difficency in digital skills and technological abilities some students may have. Taking all this into consideration, I will take a more proactive approach in assisting my students who are lacking in these areas.

What I need to learn more about

        When considering several factors that lead to the digital divide, I would like to focus on internet access. I want to learn more about possible internet service programs provided by different local, state, and federal agencies. I feel this would be beneficial for me to know as an educator that has been asked this question a few times. Since most of my student's families are economically disadvantaged, they struggle with the ability to provide internet access to their kids. During the pandemic when school was online e-learning, many families were relieved when they were provided hotspots by our district in order to meet their child's internet needs. I’d like to learn about methods and best practices that can be put in place to accommodate the needs of these students. 

Future Reference

        As I conducted my research on the digital divide, I came across what I found as an interesting online article in The Washington Post. It is titled, “ How to bridge the digital divide in education”. It reports a real-life story of a student who struggled with internet access as a result of her socioeconomic background. It was an insightful view of how the digital divide was a barrier this student had to overcome. She broke through the barrier and became valedictorian of her class. Thanks to affordable connectivity programs provided by AT&T an internet service provider.

 

WP Creative Group. (2021, September 13). How to bridge the digital divide in education. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/brand-studio/wp/2021/09/13/feature/how-to-bridge-the-digital-divide-in-education/ 

References

Seong-Jae Min (2010) From the Digital Divide to the Democratic Divide: Internet Skills, Political Interest, and the Second-Level Digital Divide in Political Internet Use, Journal of Information Technology & Politics, 7:1, 22-35, DOI: 10.1080/19331680903109402. https://doi.org/10.1080/19331680903109402    

  

Tan, F. B. (2007). Global Information Technologies: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools and Applications. Ukraine: Information Science Reference. Volume 1. Groper, Richard. Digital Government and the Digital Divide. Chapter 1.12. pg 125- 136. https://books.google.com/books?id=BU9BVqhtFzQC&lpg=PA135&ots=4rrU6SNb3d&dq=Cawkell%2C%20T.%20(2001).%20Sociotechnology%3A%20The%20digital%20divide.%20Journal%20of%20Information%20Science%2C%2027%2C%2055%E2%80%9360.&pg=PA112#v=onepage&q=Cawkell,%20T.%20(2001).%20Sociotechnology:%20The%20digital%20divide.%20Journal%20of%20Information%20Science,%2027,%2055%E2%80%9360.&f=false 

Warf, Barney. 2019.  Handbook of Research on Overcoming Digital Divides: Constructing an Equitable and Competitive Information Society. Chapter 7. The Digital Divide in the U.S. in the 21st Century.  

            http://techstyle.lmc.gatech.edu/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/digitaldivide1.pdf