A Divide from who's perspective?
Is the digital divide manufactured? Who decides we have a digital divide? Is it the “haves� or the “have-nots�? If a group of people is missing something from their society, whose responsibility is it to tell them they are deficient? Maybe they were satisfied until we explained to them that they should be miserable without online access…
When I think about the digital divide and access I think of the physical ability to go online. The fact that a technology is presented to a person or a group constitutes access. Whether they use that access to their full ability is another issue. The desire or lack of desire to go online can be based on a number of issues. The Pew article touched on barriers that are physical (don’t have a computer or their disability prevents them from using a computer) to ignorance (I don’t understand the computer, it wastes time and it will not provide any value to me).
Page 20 of the Pew article brings up a good point about the adaptation of a new technology. There are always going to be the first movers, the early adapters. But with all new technology there is going to be a lag time before complete acceptance. Telephone penetration dropped during the Great Depression due to lack of income to afford the new technology. That is a valid reason for the digital divide for some people.
I don’t think anyone should be forced to be online anymore than they should be forced to watch television or read a newspaper. The real issue is the opportunity to access the internet. As more and more communities become wired, more people will have economical access to the internet.
I think basic internet use should be taught in schools at an early age. As business becomes wired we have to prepare our children for the future. It is no different than the evolution of the slide rule to basic calculators to the TI 85. Basic computer and internet use should be a major part of the teachings of children.
I think the OLPC program has its’ heart in the right place but their head is in another. The idea of providing computing power to third world nations makes a lot of sense but I think the beneficiaries of the computers should be the people who can utilize the information to the fullest to help grow their resources. Providing laptops to children in third world countries is a nice gesture but I think it would be looked at as some sort of novelty.
Comments
I agree with you that it's important to educate children in how to use computers and the Internet. Since we live in a society that is technologically advanced, it makes sense to educate people from an early age in how to use those technologies.
However, there is one thing that I would like to say about the OLPC Program and that is, I think it's important to provide children in Third World countries with laptops even if they will not be able to utilize the resources to the fullest. It's a method of motivating them and better educating them on what is out there in the world. I don't think that everyone in this country who has Internet access necessarily uses it to increase our resource production. A lot of people use the Internet to play online games and chat with others, so why is it important to only provide Third World countries with computers for the production of resources? There are other programs in place to take care of that issue.
Posted by: Natalya Goncharova | February 28, 2007 11:44 AM
I agree- not everyone should be forced to be online because everyone has different choices and things to do on their own free time.
As for children, it is a great idea for them to learn how to use it so they can have the opportunity to access if they choose to in the future.
Posted by: May | February 28, 2007 04:31 PM