Ethical Implications of the Digital Divide and Social Exclusion

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Essien D. Essien
Keyword(s):  
Digital Divide ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Social Inequalities ◽  
Internet Access ◽  
Internet Usage ◽  
Significant Implication ◽  
Ethical Implications ◽  
Computer Ownership ◽  
Education Levels ◽  
The Subject

Despite that global internet usage continues to expand given the increase in the number of computer ownership and Internet access, a divide persists between information rich and information poor, which is people with lower incomes, education levels, skill and capacity, minorities, as well as those living in rural areas. Building on numerous researches on the digital divide, this study argues for a different set of metaphors by which digital divide should be understood, valued and managed. It examines the understanding that the digital divide is inevitably tied to the concept of social inequalities in every society. With an insight provided for understanding the independent and different layers of the digital divide, a criterion on appropriate approach toward tackling the problem of digital divide is thus supplied. Findings have significant implication for cumulative research on the subject of digital divide in Africa.

scholarly journals Digital Divide in Internet Access and Internet Usage in Korea

2011 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 5601-5613
Author(s):  
Young-Wan Ju ◽  
Yoo-Jung Kim ◽  
Chang-Hyung Cho
Keyword(s):  
Digital Divide ◽  
Internet Access ◽  
Internet Usage

scholarly journals DIGITAL DIVIDE: A GENDERED GULF BETWEEN MALE AND FEMALE IN INTERNET USAGE

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 9-16
Author(s):  
Ummuhabeeba Chaliyan
Keyword(s):  
Gender Identity ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Information Society ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Internet Access ◽  
Internet Usage ◽  
Actual Problem ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Relationship

This paper quantifies and analyses the issue gender digital divide which has been prominent in discussions of the information society. The phenomena digital divide can in brief be defined as inequality of Internet access. But access alone does not solve anything; the actual problem about digital divide is very complex. While it would be very interesting to explore the relationship between the digital divide and gender identity among the multiple faces of digital divide based on age, job, nation, education etc. Researchers were quick to observe that women tend to be latecomers to the digital age. As a consequence, the new technology was popularly portrayed as a male domain.

scholarly journals Rural and Non-Rural Digital Divide Persists in Older Adults: Internet Access, Usage, and Perception

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 412-413
Author(s):  
Hee Yun Lee ◽  
Eun Young Choi ◽  
Youngsun Kim ◽  
Jessica Neese ◽  
Yan Luo
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Internet Access ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Older Americans ◽  
Comprehensive Plans

Abstract Despite the overall increase in Internet use among older adults, the digital divide within older Americans remains substantial. This trend is particularly true for older adults living in rural areas. Informed by the Social Determinants of Health Framework, our study aims to examine how one’s residential area relates to (1) Internet Access, (2) subtypes of usage patterns, and (3) perceptions on technology use. Cross-sectional data were drawn from the 2012 Health and Retirement Study (HRS). The sample consisted of 18,196 older adults aged 50 and above (47.6% rural residents). A series of linear and logistic regression analyses were performed. Our models controlled for demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, and health conditions. Compared to older adults living in urban areas, those residing in rural areas had 29% lower odds of internet access. Living in rural areas predicted lower levels of all sub-types of technology use (communication, financial, health, and media technology). In addition, non-users in rural areas showed more unfavorable perceptions of technology than urban residents. They were more likely to conceive technology as “too complicated”, “too hard to learn”, and “too difficult to keep up with all changes.” Our findings suggest that substantial segments of older adults in rural areas are still behind in accessing and adopting digital technology. Targeted intervention efforts are urgently needed to reduce technology inequality including comprehensive plans to expand broadband access and building mobile technology infrastructure for rural communities.

scholarly journals Family Conditions and the Accessibility of Online Education: The Digital Divide and Mediating Factors

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 8590
Author(s):  
Jiafeng Gu
Keyword(s):  
Online Education ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Internet Access ◽  
Broadband Internet ◽  
Low Income Families ◽  
The Impact ◽  
At Home

This study is an exploration of the digital divide between urban and rural areas, and it was conducted to assess the impact of the minimum living guarantee system on online education in China. The results of the research showed that 83.38% of students in low-income families have been able to participate in online education at home during the pandemic, while 16.62% of students in low-income families have been unable to do so. The absence of computers, smartphones, and broadband Internet access in low-income households reduces the likelihood of children being able to participate in online education at home. In terms of accessing online education at home, students from urban areas have obvious advantages over those from rural ones, and students from minimum living guarantee families have obvious advantages over those from marginal minimum living guarantee ones. This study also showed that the presence of online education-related amenities, including computers, smartphones, and Internet access, mediates the relationship between the subsistence allowance system, Hukou, and accessibility of online education. To address this issue, this paper includes suggestions for bridging the digital divide in online education.

scholarly journals Bridging Indonesia’s Digital Divide: Rural-Urban Linkages?

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aulia Hadi
Keyword(s):  
Material Culture ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Information And Communication Technology ◽  
Communication Technology ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Internet Access ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Digital Skills ◽  
Information And Communication

While Indonesia is recorded as one of the greatest social media republics in the world, the gap of rural-urban internet access remains a great challenge. As reported in the 2016 Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Indicators, the number of households with internet access in rural areas is nearly half of those in urban areas; 26.3% and 48.5% in a consecutive way. Rather than simply seeing the internet as a medium, this paper discusses the internet as material culture; therefore, it goes beyond the access and focuses on the ways people use the internet to define their culture. From this perspective, this paper draws the two levels of the digital divide of Indonesian rural-urban dwellers. Lack of motivation and limited material access due to social inequality is at the very base of the digital divide. Subsequently, digital skills and usage deepen the digital divide. While splitting people into either rural or urban categories often produces misleading policies, this paper proposes the rural-urban linkages to bridge the digital divide in Indonesia. The rural-urban linkages particularly incorporate the flow of people and information across space as well as the interconnection between sectors, such as agriculture and service.

The Digital Divide in the U.S. in the 21st Century

2010 ◽  
pp. 112-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barney Warf
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Internet Access ◽  
The United States ◽  
Internet Usage ◽  
Racial Inequalities ◽  
Internet Users ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The U.S

The United States has the world’s largest national population of Internet users, roughly 170 million people, or 70% of the adult population. However, the deep class and racial inequalities within the U.S. are mirrored in access to cyberspace. This chapter examines the nature of the U.S. digital divide, differentiating between Internet access and usage, using data from 1995 to 2005. Although Internet usage has grown among all sociodemographic groups, substantial differences by income and ethnicity persist. The chapter also examines discrepancies in access to broadband technologies.

scholarly journals INTERNET USAGE BY THE ELDERLY IN SERBIA

2017 ◽  
pp. 103
Author(s):  
Gordana Stojić
Keyword(s):  
Digital Divide ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Internet Usage ◽  
Information Communication Technologies ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Favorable Conditions ◽  
Older Citizens

In the last decades, the problems of the elderly have attracted the attention of the scientific and wider public, thus imposing themselves as issues of public policies. The growth of interest in the elderly is conditioned by: the increasing share of the elderly in the overall population, the change of their social status as well as the development of new conceptual frames (social exclusion, marginalization, ageism). Today the elderly live in a society which is characterized by the expansion of information-communication technologies (ICT). The Internet is a means of more efficient and faster completion of various activities, satisfaction of different needs and access to social resources. On the other hand, the adoption of new technologies has taken on a different pace when it comes to the generation affiliation. That is why it is important to examine the degree to which older citizens successfully use these opportunities. The subject matter of the paper is Internet usage by the elderly. It points to the benefits the elderly are getting from Internet usage as well as the barriers they come across. Starting from the concept of the digital divide, Internet usage by the older Serbian population is analyzed. Finally, the measures to be taken to create favorable conditions for Internet usage by elderly are pointed out.

The Digital Divide and K-12 Student Computer Use

10.28945/2926 ◽  
2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
James N. Morgan ◽  
Craig A. VanLengen
Keyword(s):  
Digital Divide ◽  
Computer Use ◽  
Census Data ◽  
Internet Access ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Limited Basis ◽  
K 12 ◽  
The Impact

The divide between those who have computer and Internet access and those who do not appears to be narrowing, however overall statistics may be misleading. Measures of computer availability in schools often include cases where computers are only available for administration or are available only on a very limited basis (Gootman, 2004). Access to a computer and the Internet outside of school helps to reinforce student learning and emphasize the importance of using technology. Recent U.S. statistics indicate that ethnic background and other demographic characteristics still have substantial impact on the availability and use of computers by students outside of the classroom. This paper examines recent census data to determine the impact of the household on student computer use outside of the classroom. Encouragingly, the findings of this study suggest that use of a computer at school substantially increases the chance that a student will use a computer outside of class. Additionally, this study suggests that computer use outside of the classroom is positively and significantly impacted by being in a household with adults who either use a computer at work or work in an industry where computers are extensively used.

Digital Entrepreneurship for Rural Youth: Entrepreneurial Process

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-76
Author(s):  
Wawan Dhewanto ◽  
Salma Azzahra ◽  
Vania NR Rhommadhonni ◽  
Fera Yunita
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Social Inequalities ◽  
Rural Youth ◽  
Young Generation ◽  
Entrepreneurial Process ◽  
Depth Study ◽  
United Nation ◽  
Digital Entrepreneurship

The young generation has a very important role as the nation's next generation, so it needs special attention to make them strong and independent figures. The young age phase is also a determining gate for the future after completing education (United Nation, 2013). Unfortunately, in Indonesia the number of young unemployed reaches 22.48% (Central Bureau of Statistics, 2018). Under these conditions, one of the efforts that can be done to reduce the unemployment rate is through an entrepreneurial program (Fatoki, 2014). This is a challenge for all parties because Rahmatiah et al (2019) states that currently the young generation of Indonesia is still difficult to become entrepreneurs. Moreover, competition in the 4.0 industrial revolution era is getting tougher. For entrepreneurs in rural areas, the challenges faced are greater than those who live in urban areas (Azzahra & Dhewanto, 2017), however by utilizing digital technology and becoming digital entrepreneurs, rural residents are able to compete, minimize social inequalities and accelerate economic growth (Ratten, 2018 ). Only a few young people have the talent and interest to run a business (Ceptureanu & Ceptueanu, 2015). Therefore an in-depth study of the interests and entrepreneurial processes for rural youth to become a digital entrepreneur is needed. This research was conducted in order to have young digital entrepreneurs who came from rural areas to be able to compete in this 4.0 industry era. Thus, the research questions in this study are: (1). Why does rural youth want to be a digital entrepreneur? How is the entrepreneurial process of rural youth to become digital entrepreneurs? Keywords: Digital Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurial Process, Rural Youth

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document