Digital Divide

Andrea ZweifelIELP / PSU Speakening and Listening 5What I will talk aboutDefinition of digital divideExtent of digital divideReasons for digital dividegImpact o fof t hethe web Attempts to bridge the digital divideWhat is Digital Divide?D fe ifi in tiitiTon: „brou libling gap b te ween those who usecomputers and the internet and those who do not“ (Bharat Mehra 2004), Gap refers to physical access to technology aswell as to resources and skills for usagegImbalances can be caused by factors such asgender, age, education, income, ethnic groups, disabilities, locationDomestic vs. global digital divideDigital divide in the US73 % of all Americans 18 years or older are onlinebut only 35 % ofof thethe people 6565 yearsyears and older53 % of people who have only high school education oror a household incomeincome ofof lessless than 30,000 $ per year59 % ofof A fricanAfrican Americans 63 % Americans who live in rural areasareasSource: Pew Internet & American Life Project, April 8—May 11, 2008 Tracking Survey.Global digital divideWorldWorld R egionsRegionsOur HomeHome C ountriesCountriesCountriesInternet Penetration RatesJapan73.8 %USA72.5 %South Korea70.7 %Taiwan67.2 %Germany63.8 %United ArabEmirates (UAE)49.8 %Saudi Arabia22.0 %China19.0 %Libya4.2 %Source: www.internetworldstats.com ReR asons feoasons f r digital divideoDrivers of Internet use:Restrictions of some undemocratic regiincomemes:enabling infrastructurecost of access restricting accessrestricting contentdependencythreatening to arrest or policymaking in the ITC-imprison those who access sector and marketunauthorized information, dmobilize people oror e xpressdemocracyexpress unpopular opinion social relationshipsSource: Guillen (2006): Explaining the Global Digital DivideImpact of the wImepact of the w beExpand access to better quality education and healthcareImprove transparancy and efficiency of government gReduce poverty for neglected groupsIntroduce economic opportunitiesOpen dialogue with others to share klnow edgeOffer more participation in politics and societyWhat can be done to overcomethe digital divide?Provide access to technologyM ka e peoplde untersdan b fene itfits and how to use technologyHelp people with s pecialspecial needs Final thoughtsPicture: Edward Mujumbe, 18 years from Tansania