I read an interesting article this afternoon about the growing digital divide in the United States. The infographic located within the story showed how disadvantaged areas of the country lack the proper resources to obtain information electronically creating a disparaging gap in social class. From a journalistic standpoint this is worrisome because it means that many people in our country are not receiving the knowledge necessary to participate in a democracy. These are the types of problems that create the gap between the haves and have-nots, and those with power and those without.
Also, it astonishes me the United States is the riches country in the world yet we rank only 12th in Internet access and 14th in “broadband penetration.” For a country that is supposed to be progressive and cutting edge in terms of technology, this is a problem that should not exist.
Side note: maybe I am ignorant but I was under the impression dial-up no longer existed.
Dial-up exists. I suffer with it every time I visit my mother in the hinterlands of Northern Wisconsin. Broadband is not available in her neighborhood. Backwards, I know.
ReplyDeleteEven if she had access, I'm not sure she'd trade it for the few bucks a month she pays for dial-up.
I think some of the digital divide is caused by issues of education and culture. First, you need a knowledge base to use a computer and understand how the Internet works. That's difficult for some people. Second, you have to see a need to use it. Many prefer using television to pass their time and don't see a need for Internet access. Their lives work fine without it.
If you fall into either of those categories, even if you have the cash, you're not going to spend it on the Internet.
I'm no census expert, and some people certainly have an access issue...but not all of them are restricted because money.