The Digital Divide

In a world of globalization and technological evolution, the right of freedom of access to information is essential to establish sustainable development. The Internet has ushered in the greatest period of wealth creation in history and it has rocked the way we deliver and receive information and the way we do business. The Internet offers the promise of an information society in which virtually unlimited quantities of information are globally available. Realizing this vision of a global, decentralized, user-controlled medium poses many challenging societal issues in regards to the Internet. Among the most fundamental of these is the issue of equity, universal access as well as the issue of the Digital Divide.

The Digital Divide refers to the gap between people with effective access to digital and information technology and those with very limited or no access at all. In other words, it is the unequal access by some members of society to information and communication technology, and the unequal acquisition of related skills. Digital divides can exist among those of differing income and economic levels, education, age and gender, race or ethnicity, location, single and dual-parent families, and disability.

The impact of the digital divide on education affects the students’ job prospects and their chances of getting a well-paying job. In particular, students who are technologically savvy have significant advantages over their peers. This affects their job prospects as employers tend to show a preference to workers who are technologically competent and are willing to pay more for their services compared to those without. In addition, technology advancement has the potential to bridge the digital divide especially in education and employment. A technology savvy youth plays an important role in employment. Education is crucial so that people are prepared to meet global needs. Lack of Education and employment slows down progress within a country.

All interested parties must collaborate to ensure that the integration of existing and emerging technologies is performed in a way that supports the need for adequate education programs at both an administrative and teaching level. The potential result is that teachers and students at all schools and in all types of classrooms will engage in learning activities involving technology that have the potential to enhance student achievement as well as decrease the digital divide. In a world overflowing with easily available digital information, we all need the skills to judge the relevance, and veracity of any particular piece of information. The public must view computers and the Internet as necessities to life and they must realize the power of these technologies that can change and improve their lives.