What Is The Digital Divide?

The digital divide is the hole that occurs flanked by people who do not have access to the latest or up-to-date information and communication technology and those who do have access. Digital inequality is influenced by three main stages, and that is how things are all around the world.

Between societies that live in rural areas and those that live in urban areas digital divide is unmistakable, between the educated and uneducated people, between countries with more economic development and countries with less economic development, between socio-economic groups, even broadband connection can cause a divide because people with low-performing computers and limited broadband speeds can result to some individuals getting left behind on some of the things, and hence widening the gap.

Types Of Digital Divide

1. Gender Divide

The gender gap, defines the inequality between different genders in society, including in business world, opportunities, pay, benefits and all other factors. A lot of women are still under-represented in places that matter such as board rooms as well as other high hierarchies, which shows a significant loss of talent and educational investment to both the society and economy, regardless of the fact that in other nations women are more likely to hold a university qualification than men.

2. Social Divide

Individuals that share interests can create relationships and socialize through internet access. There are online communities of peer groups that share similar interests in social media platforms.

Community groups that are connected are sidelining the groups that are not connected because they do not share the internet benefits with them. Hence, now more than ever the use of internet has fueled social classification that is apparent in-between communities that are connected to the internet and those that are not.

3. Universal Access Divide

When it comes to accessing the internet people who are living with disabilities are mostly lacking. Even if the person has all the necessary and needed skills, they still cannot exploit the software and hardware that is available to the best of their ability.

Low education levels, insufficient broadband infrastructure, and the non-availability of digital literacy skills will result to some parts of the world continuing to remain isolated from the internet and its massive possibilities.

Causes Of The Digital Divide

The digital divide continues to grow dramatically each day and all around the world, despite the fact that computer and internet access also continues to grow due to the following:

1. Education

The digital inequality gap is getting widened as a result of low literacy levels. In mending the digital divide, education is an important asset. Individuals with high school education and lower are less likely to fully explore or step into the complete possibilities of the internet and computers in their daily lives compared to individuals who hold a college or university qualification.

2. Income Levels

Another factor that plays a substantial role in expanding the digital divide is the income gap. Individuals that are low-income earners are less likely to access the internet than those who are high-income earners. Poor families and low-income earners are less likely to own computers and have high-speed internet connection at home as compared to well-off families. For low-income earners, they see technology as a luxury and their income is directed towards basic needs, for them money is scarce.

3. Geographical Restrictions

To set up a high-speed internet connection less economically developed countries do not have the required technology and infrastructure. Because of the richness of their economies, countries that are more economically developed have the privilege of high-speed internet connection and an extensive range of technology. In-country geographical restrictions likewise expands the digital divide, because rural regions are less likely to have access to high-speed internet than urban regions.

4. Digital Literacy

Developed countries have high-speed internet connection and more wide-ranging access to computers and other devices. Learners that attend schools with insufficient computers and cannot learn the required digital skills have a lower advantage than learner who are exposed to these technologies at a younger age.

Impact Of The Digital Divide

Digital inequality has produced substantial division among societies worldwide. Some of the most intense effects by the digital divide include:

1. Impact Of Digital Divide On The Economy

Extensive use of the internet empowers an economically productive country. Telecommunication services offer an improvement to the growth of an economy. People can rather do activities that they would normally travel for online at the comfort of their own homes, resulting in reduced struggles in traveler traffic. In addition, paperless transactions are a suitable method to creating economic empowerment. In developing countries which lack sufficient ICT integration, the economic gap is broadened.

2. Impact Of Digital Divide On Education

At the moment there are abundant educational platforms that you can learn progressive skills from, because the internet is a rich archive of information. Educational achievement and exceptional scientific research has been credited to access to ICT. For significant success to an individual and society, it is important to keep up with this vital industry, education empowers the mind.

3. Impact Of Digital Divide On Society

Technology builds new arrangements between people with internet access and those who do not have access to the internet. Individuals with limited internet access remain lagging, delaying their growth and success. And what has contributed to the division of people in the society including ethnicity, age and gender, is the digital divide.

Digital Divide In Education

Between students and schools the technological gap is startling, the following categories offer insight into obstacles in the education zone that expands the digital divide gap even wider.

1. Lack Of Up To Date Devices

Most Jobs today require a person to hold computer skills, but how can learners be prepared for the future if they do not have access to modern technology? Learners that are at risk of suffering poor grades are students who do not have the needed technology, because learners require current devices for innovative learning.

2. Teachers lack technology-based skills

A lot of teacher who are not trained in using appropriate technology and high-speed internet cannot enable active digital learning for learners, because appropriate technology and other devices are not enough to bridge the digital divide in Education. We need to invest in the professional training of our teachers, in order to achieve appealing, applicable and fixated learning.

Affluent schools combine classroom learning with real-life problem solving by integrating modern technology in their curriculum. Students are tutored on conducting online research, video creation and using tools such as Google Docs.

Students in poor schools use computers for presentations of the present material, and there is no in-depth learning of technology. Affluent schools, on the other hand, encourage students to conduct online research and perform statistical analyses.

3. Difference In Teaching Styles And Learner Engagement

Financially wealthy schools join classroom learning with real-life problem solving by incorporating the current technology in their curriculum, learners are taught on how to use online tools and other software.

On the other hand, there is no detailed learning in poorer schools, learners just have computers for the sake of having them and do copy and paste or repetitive work, while in other schools learners are encouraged to perform tasks online.