As used here, the term digital divide refers to the gap between individuals, households, businesses and geographic areas at different socioeconomic levels with regard both to their opportunities to access information and communication technologies icts. Social capital and the three levels of digital divide. Discussion guide on towards the establishment of an. The gap between those who have access to digital technologies and those who do not. The digital divide october 8, 2014 page 6 of 6 the national communication association nca advances communication as the discipline that studies all forms, modes, media, and consequences of communication through humanistic. A refined understanding of the digital divide that emphasizes.
The digital divide refers to the inequalities between people who have access to and the resources to use modern information and communication technology ict, such as desktop computers and the internet, and people who do not. They promote innovation, boost efficiency and inclusion. The evolution of the digital divide the digital divide turns to inequality of skills and usage jan a. Pdf the term digital divide was introduced in the mid1990s and defined as the gap separating those who have access to new forms of information. Digital divide has two categories access vs adoption access broadband access refers to the physical infrastructure adoption adoption is the process of a consumer signing up for broadband from an internet service provider. The aim of this paper is to discus s the digital divide in africa and possible solut ions.
Nevertheless, for retailers, it poses a serious threat to overall. Develop a policy framework to analyse the development of digital technology and digital divide. The authors show that the concept of digital divide has got a new meaning in the nordic countries. As the technological digital divide is decreasing between those with access to the internet and those without, the meaning of the term digital divide is evolving. Concept note artificial intelligence and inclusion 2020 in partnership with 26 march 2020 unesco, paris. The english translation and publication in pdf format of the gender digital divide in francophone africa. However, this segment of the population is usually indicated among social groups experiencing digital divide. Introduction the internet is both an opportunity as well as a challenge for people with disabilities. The role of health information technology in addressing racial and ethnic disparities articleataglance background. The four digital divides massachusetts institute of.
The digital divide and other economic considerations for. Digital media indicates the use ofdigital media indicates the use of computer technology to combine various forms of media. A lack of access is believed to be a disadvantage to those on the disadvantaged side of the digital divide because of the. The secondlevel digital divide also referred to as the production gap, describes the gap that separates the consumers of content on the internet from the producers of content. According to lei, gibbs, chang, and lee 2008, there are two main different thoughts about how to deal with the digital divide. For example, the concept of digital literacy for the british nonprofit organization joint information systems committee jisc, is defined as the skills needed to live, learn and work in a.
Indeed, the earliest itu statistics on telecommunica tions published in 1871, recording data on tel. Diversity, disability, and geographic digital divide research has indicated a large gap between those who do and those that do not have access to technology. Eprs bridging the digital divide in the eu members research service page 2 of 8 the digital divide. Connectivity is vital, but not enough to realize the full development benefits.
Digital inclusion network, an online exchange on topics related to the digital divide and digital inclusion. International literacy day 2017 literacy in a digital world concept note international literacy day ild, 8 september september 8th was proclaimed as international literacy day ild by unesco at the 14th session of unescos general conference on 26 october. Committee on technology in government, new york city council. As used here, the term digital divide refers to the gap between individuals, households, businesses and geographic areas at different socioeconomic levels with regard both to their opportunities to access information and communication technologies icts and to their use of the internet for a. A small percentage of the worlds population enjoys luxuries while global poverty seems to be increasing. So the expression digital divide describes according to wiki 2010 is not only a gap in countries but in general between the people living in them. The four digital divides the digital divide is widely regarded as a unitary phenomenon. Digital literacy an example of a concept used close to digital competence and often as a synonym is digital literacy. The term digital divide describes the fact that the world can be divided into people who do and people who dont have access to and the capability to use modern information technology, such as the telephone, television, or the internet. The digital divide and other economic considerations.
The digital divide and what to do about it eszter hargittai papersateszterdotcom sociology department princeton university this is a preprint version of the book chapter to appear in the new. The digital divide can be defined as the gap between individuals, households, businesses and. It is not just the cost of computers that results in the digital divide, but also the presence of widespread illiteracy among overlooked populations. Digital divide research, achievements and shortcomings. The digital divide the concept of the digital divide has been used to highlight differences in electronic access to information based on economics, race, ethnic or social group andor geographic location. A key aspect of this divide is the digital divide where a large difference in terms of access to information communication technology.
Indeed, the earliest itu statistics on telecommunica tions published in 1871, recording data on tel egraph operations since 1849 show a clear divide between the member states of the union, mainly within western europe at that time. Broadband internet use and rural development in pennsylvania final report to the center for rural pennsylvania amy k. Exploring the aspects of digital divide in a developing. Although some have painted a picture that technology has opened doors of. The term is sometimes used interchangeably with multimedia, b t it ifi ll f tbut it more specifically refers to electronic media that works using digital codes rather than to analog signals. Exploring the aspects of digital divide in a developing country iisit. The event mobile learning week mlw is the united nations flagship event on digital technologies in education and has been organized by unesco and its partners for. This is a case of having a particular technological opportunity. Moreover, the low use of the internet by older people. Racial and ethnic disparities in health care have been consistently documented in the diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of many common clinical conditions. With socioeconomic divisions already present in todays society, the digital divide is compounding the effects. This includes those who have, and those who do not have the necessary skills.
I argue in this paper that simple distinction between information rich and information poor fails to consider the range of different positions. The national communication association and the digital divide. When the existence of a digital divide first emerged, it revolved around access to computers and related technologies. The concept of the digital divide written by billd, july 7th, 2014. In order to alleviate the digital divide caused by. This concept has a longer tradition than digital competence, connected to media literacy erstad, 2010, and there are studies about digital literacy related, e. The importance of policy and regulatory reform needs to be underlined. The concept of the digital divide computers in homes. The digital divide is a phrase commonly used to describe the disparity in computer access and use between various social, economic, and racial groups within new zealand.
International digital council for food and agriculture. One of the worlds most serious problems is the ever increasing gap between the rich and the poor. I argue in this paper that simple distinction between. Loc 2, as it allows students to understand via direct experience the digital divide and thus, better articulate the concept. The digital divide is a complex, and dynamic problem which has political, cultural, and ethical dimensions ahmed, 2007. Moving beyond the digital divide the concept of a digital divide gained prominence in. The concept of the digital divide is becoming more and more complex as access to computers and the use of computers, changes over time. The digital divide refers to the gap between people with effective access to digital.
Access to, meaningful use of and participation in the design of digital technologies is not evenly distributed. The digital divide will not close unless there is an initiative to seal the gap. The evolution and application of digital divide research. Profiles of innovators and leaders who make a difference pdf. There is a wellrehearsed argument that we are fast approaching a digital divide, of users and nonusers of the internet wang et al. A literacy approach to the digital divide uci school of education. Mcchesney9 documents the concentration of wealth and power in just five to eight. The changing concept of digital divide springerlink. The digital divide is a concept frequently used for addressing this issue, but what exactly it means is imprecise. In its simplest formulation, the digital divide is thought of as the gap between those who have access to the internet and those who do not. The digital divide is defined by organization for economic cooperation and development oecd as. Health care disparities bridging the digital divide in health care. In this paper, i analyze the definition of the digital divide, and compare it to. Glasmeier, chris benner, chandrani ohdedar, and lee carpenter the pennsylvania state university i.
The gap between individuals, households, businesses and geographic areas at different socioeconomic levels with regard both to their. The digital divide can be understood as inequalities in four successive types of access. The digital divide encompasses differences in both access firstlevel digital divide and usage secondlevel digital divide of computers and the internet between 1. Introduction to mediated communication nicholas bowman, west virginia university i. Digital technologies lower the cost of economic and social transactions. The digital divide is both a national and an international concern. Policies and initiatives proposed or enacted to alleviate the digital divide among lowincome households are discussed and analyzed, as well as what the future responsibilities of library and information science professionals are in providing digital inclusion to the poor. The concept of a digital divide, which often falls along gender, geographical, economic, age and other identities that intersect with existing vulnerabilities, is not new. Health care disparities bridging the digital divide in. Expanding digital opportunity in new york city public schools. Types of access digital divide research started with the observation of the number and categories of persons who have a computer and network connection at their disposal.
That gap, the new digital divide, puts at risk much more than just online shopping revenue. Digital divide, term that describes the uneven distribution of information and communication technologies icts in society. Fy 2020 americorps vista state new projects introduction the corporation for national and community service cncs seeks concept papers for the americorps vista volunteers in service to america program from outcomedriven. A digital divide is any uneven distribution in the access to, use of, or impact of information and. The concept of digital divide is studied in this paper. Clearly, this gap is different in nature from the standard notion of digital divide that describes socioeconomic differences based on access to information technologies.
What is the digital divide uci school of education. Whatever its application field may be, the digital divide refers to the idea of a potential. The evolution of the digital divide universiteit twente. As those surveys defined it, the digital divide is the social gap between those who have. The digital divide refers to the difference between people who have easy access to the internet and those who do not. The study is focused on the analysis of factors determining internet usage and undertaking specific activities online among people with disabilities based on a nationwide study.
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