Reducing the Digital Divide

Technology offers great potential but can also create inequities and problems. One such inequity is the digital divide. The digital divide refers to the gap between those who can effectively use new information and communication tools, such as the Internet, and those who cannot. Those who are on the less fortunate side of the divide lose out in education, training, shopping, entertainment and communications opportunities. The causes of the digital divide are numerous, and include costs, access problems, lack of skills, cultural issues, and personal factors. As a result, reducing the digital divide needs to take a multi-faceted approach, which includes creating awareness and promotion, facilitating access, developing necessary skills, providing reliable support, developing suitable content, and ensuring community involvement. The mission of school libraries is threatened as long as the digital divide exists, and it is important that school libraries take steps to reduce this divide. These steps should include the approaches mentioned earlier, as well as using coordinated national, regional or local strategies, and collaborating with other organizations.

A Framework for Narrowing the Digital Divide

Managing Globally with Information Technology ◽

10.4018/978-1-93177-742-1.ch008 ◽

2003 ◽

pp. 104-115

Author(s):

Alexander Osterwalder ◽

Mathias Rossi ◽

Minyue Dong

Keyword(s):

Developing Countries ◽

Economic Development ◽

Digital Divide ◽

Business Model ◽

The Internet ◽

Model Framework ◽

Governmental Organizations ◽

Non Governmental Organizations ◽

New Information ◽

The bridging of the so-called digital divide is an important issue in today’s development efforts of international and non-governmental organizations and developing countries. This does not only concern access to new information and communication technology (ICT) such as the Internet, but also access to the knowledge how to use these technologies for economic development. This chapter outlines the business model framework and the business model handbook that shall help to develop a knowledgeable class of e-entrepreneurs that are able to use ICT and to detect the opportunities of the Internet era.

A Framework for Narrowing the Digital Divide

Global Information Technologies ◽

10.4018/978-1-59904-939-7.ch001 ◽

2008 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Alexander Osterwalder ◽

Mathias Rossi ◽

Minyue Dong

Keyword(s):

Developing Countries ◽

Economic Development ◽

Digital Divide ◽

Business Model ◽

The Internet ◽

Model Framework ◽

Governmental Organizations ◽

Non Governmental Organizations ◽

New Information ◽

ICTs and Their Impact on Women's Roles and Evolution within Developing Societies

Human Rights and Ethics ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-6433-3.ch080 ◽

2015 ◽

pp. 1452-1473

Author(s):

Ana-Cristina Ionescu

Keyword(s):

Positive Impact ◽

Western World ◽

The Internet ◽

New Information ◽

The World ◽

Promote Gender Equality ◽

Modern Technologies

The Internet is definitely the most complex and dynamic technical and cultural phenomenon that humanity ever experienced. Nevertheless, despite its positive impact on the Western world, Web 2.0 has yet to prove its power in the undeveloped regions of the globe, where the Internet Era is still at its dawn. In developing countries, the barriers that women face, such as poverty or social imbalances, establish significant challenges that hinder connectivity and access to modern technologies. In this context, the chapter discusses the evolution of gender speech in relation to new Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). The authors determine whether the declarations and plans for action that were issued subsequent to the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing enhanced the establishment of gendered policies on ICTs, particularly in the undeveloped regions of the world, and whether, in this way, they empower women, contribute to combating women's poverty, and promote gender equality.

Digital inclusion

Computers and Society ◽

10.1093/oso/9780198827085.003.0006 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Ronald M. Baecker

Keyword(s):

Digital Divide ◽

Digital Technology ◽

Social Inclusion ◽

The Internet ◽

Digital Inclusion ◽

Digital Devices ◽

The Rich

J. C. R. Licklider, Vannevar Bush, Doug Engelbart, Ted Nelson, and Alan Kay optimistically and exuberantly imagined how computers could better the lives of people. Much of this has come to pass. The Internet supports learning by ‘students’ at all levels. Information on laws, procedures, diseases, and medical care may be found on the web. The Internet now provides the easiest, or in some cases the only, way to pay bills or order items such as books, groceries, and even clothing. It is a means of communication with family, friends, individuals one would like to meet, individuals with whom one could share insights, and potential employers. Music, films, and other means of entertainment stream to our digital devices. This implies that those for whom digital technology is not available are at a disadvantage. The gap between the technology-haves and the technology-have-nots became known in the 1990s as a digital divide. The concept is nuanced; we can speak of availability or scarcity of hardware, such as personal computers (PCs) and mobile phones; of infrastructure such as cellular networks; of communications bandwidth that enables a smooth media viewing experience; of expertise in using the technology; of commitment to its use; and of engagement in the process. Some only consume information; others contribute their ideas via methods such as blogging and tweeting. Yet a better way to describe digital technology widely accessible is the goal of social inclusion, to allow all individuals, regardless of socioeconomic status, location, race, gender, or ability or disability, to take advantage of the benefits of modern computing and telecommunications. To have terminology that is even more evocative, we shall use the more modern and descriptive term of digital inclusion. This has been defined by the International Telecommunications Union as ‘empowering people through information and communication technologies (ICTs)’. The term ‘people’ is meant here to imply all people throughout the world. This chapter will first examine the digital divide between the haves and the have-nots (often the rich and the poor) within several nations. Examples of the benefits of digital inclusion will be cited.

Webmetrics

Encyclopedia of Multimedia Technology and Networking ◽

10.4018/978-1-59140-561-0.ch154 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 1091-1095

Author(s):

Mario A. Maggioni ◽

Teodora Erika Uberti

Keyword(s):

Digital Divide ◽

The Internet ◽

Digital Information ◽

The World ◽

The Internet is perhaps one of the newest and most powerful media that enables the transmission of digital information and communication across the world, even if there still exist important divides (digital divide) between and within countries in the endowment, access and use of this technology.

THE INFLUENCE OF THE INTERNET AS A MEANS OF MASS COMMUNICATION ON QUALITY AND STANDARD OF LIVING OF THE POPULATION

10.12737/monography_5fdf9ab89f5d61.35635530 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Aleksandr Sheremet

Keyword(s):

Mass Communication ◽

Standard Of Living ◽

The Internet ◽

Digital Inequality ◽

Economic Stratification ◽

New Information ◽

The monograph is devoted to the problems of the influence of the Internet as a means of mass communication on the quality and standard of living of the population. The digital inequality and other new forms of socio-economic stratification generated by the introduction and development of new information and communication technologies are investigated.

Literasi Teknologi Informasi dan Komunikasi

Jurnal Penelitian Komunikasi ◽

10.20422/jpk.v17i2.14 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

pp. 153-164 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Syarifuddin Syarifuddin

Keyword(s):

Mobile Phone ◽

Digital Divide ◽

Information And Communication Technology ◽

Communication Technology ◽

The Internet ◽

Ict Literacy ◽

South Sulawesi ◽

The People ◽

Level 3

Development of information and communication technology (ICT) has brought changes for the people of Indonesia. With ICT, community can easily access a variety of information and support jobs. But the problem that arises is the uneven penetration of ICT in all parts of Indonesia, including in South Sulawesi. Giving rise to the digital divide as well as the weakness of ICT literacy. Therefore, this study aims to determine the ICT literacy community in South Sulawesi. The method used in this study is a survey with a quantitative approach. The results show that ICT (computer, mobile phone, and internet) has been used by communities in South Sulawesi. Among the three media, mobile phone has the highest number of penetration followed by computer and the internet. The majority of respondents have also entered into 5 levels of ICT literacy mobile phones and computers as an integral part of daily activities. While the internet was still in level 3 where they have been used but not significantly.

Sociocultural Environment of the Internet: New Values and Communicative Meanings

Observatory of Culture ◽

10.25281/2072-3156-2015-0-4-86-98 ◽

2015 ◽

pp. 86-98 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Olga V. Shlykova

Keyword(s):

Digital Divide ◽

Information Society ◽

Cultural Policy ◽

Internet Access ◽

The Internet ◽

Sociocultural Environment ◽

Regions Of Russia

The article discusses the phenomenon of the Internet, the dynamics of its development, and the features of cultural policy in the context of information society. A certain part of the article is dedicated to the programs of informatization and internetization of our country, programs of removal of the digital divide and providing the country with the Internet access to its cultural heritage. The author presents the results of the information readiness monitoring of several regions of Russia, the results help to reveal the threats concerned with the globalization and with the implementation of information and communication technologies as well as to open the prospects and trends for future development of the Electronic Russia and the culture of “new opportunities”. The article’s publications review covers more than 50 sources. There are monographs, textbooks, dissertation abstracts, which allows to see who and how explores the new reality.

Too Old For Technology? How The Elderly Of Lisbon Use And Perceive ICT

The Journal of Community Informatics ◽

10.15353/joci.v8i1.3061 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Bárbara Barbosa Neves ◽

Fausto Amaro

Keyword(s):

Digital Divide ◽

Mobile Phones ◽

Quantitative Data ◽

The Elderly ◽

The Internet ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Stratified Sample ◽

The elderly have traditionally been an excluded group in the deployment of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). Even though their use of ICT is increasing, there is still a significant age-based digital divide. To empower elderly people’s usage of ICT we need to look at their patterns of usage and perceptions. To understand how Portugal’s elderly (65 and above) use and perceive mobile phones, computers and the Internet, we surveyed a random stratified sample of 500 individuals over 64 years of age, living in Lisbon. Of those surveyed, 72% owned a mobile phone, 13% used computers, and 10% used the Internet. The quantitative data was followed-up by ten qualitative (semi-structured) interviews. The implications of the results are discussed herein. Keywords: Elderly, Aging, ICT, Ageism, Digital Divide, Mobile phones, Computers, Internet, Portugal, “faux users”

Does Internet usage inspire offline political participation? Analyzing the Taiwanese case

Japanese Journal of Political Science ◽

10.1017/s1468109919000070 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 20 (4) ◽

pp. 191-208

Author(s):

Alex Chuan-hsien Chang

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Political Process ◽

Internet Usage ◽

The Internet ◽

Legislative Elections ◽

Voting Turnout ◽

New Information ◽

AbstractWith the emergence of new information and communication technologies, scholars and politicians view the Internet as a means both to govern and to bring citizens, especially younger generations, closer to the political process. Given the tremendous impacts of the Sunflower Movement on Taiwanese politics, this paper sets out to dynamically examine whether and to what extent the Internet inspired offline electoral and non-electoral participations of Taiwanese young adults. While the younger generation's Internet usage for political causes significantly encouraged their voting turnout in the 2014 election, a similar effect was not detected in either the 2012 or 2016 presidential and legislative elections. The estimated statistics not only show the particular effect of the Sunflower Movement on young adults' voting turnout and participation in self-help activities in the 2014 election, but also reveal that the fast-changing and diverse Internet domain did not have a long-lasting influence on young citizens' political engagement in the offline world.