Digital Divide – Part One

Digital Divide – Part One

The Digital Divide is most commonly defined as “the gap between those individuals and communities that have, and those who do not have, access to the information technologies that are changing our lives rapidly”. Technology has become the driving force of
change in the world today.

It has altered our economic structures and ways of communication, helping communities leap forward to overcome convention and tradition. It turns out that the upper and middle classes have high-quality access to digital technology because profit motive pushes
technologists to work hard at creating "solutions" designed specifically for them. In this equation, however, the poor are ignored because it is assumed that designing solutions for them will not be that much profitable.

West only has 15% population of the earth but still they have 80% of the internet.

Digital Divide includes the physical access to
technology as well as the resources and skills needed to effectively participate in the current world which can be called a digital world in which only those countries, groups or individuals can succeed which are equipped to all the latest technologies.

The term digital divide can be used between different countries and it can be used within a country as well where only the elite class has the facility to use computers and internet, and that is happening in the 3^rd world countries right now.
The concept of the digital divide is becoming more and more complex as access to computers and the use of computers changes over time. When the existence of a “digital divide” first emerged, it revolved around access to computers and related technologies.
The high cost of computers created a large divide between people who could afford them, and who had access to all the advantages of a computer, and those who could not.

The digital divide is an issue that has existed since long but is yet to be resolved. Unfortunately the longer it takes to find a solution, the worse the problem gets. When we talk about Digital Divide, we usually mean the unequal opportunity to gain knowledge
and education. The digital divide affects all aspects of life as technology is used in every field of life which includes education. This will focus on the issue of the Digital Divide, its effects more specifically on education. First we must begin with technology
itself and technology in education.

To be continued …

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Posted by Yasir Hashmi on Nov 30 2011. Filed under Education, World. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry