Digital Divide/ Changyu Jung
The digital
divide refers to the phenomenon in which access to information and
communication technology is uneven among social groups. This happens because of
the cost of accessing information or geographical reasons. The digital divide
is not mitigated simply by the dissemination of devices. It can be mitigated by
knowing how information or technology is available. There are several factors
involved in the digital divide. Income levels and educational attainment are
the most strongly related factors. Creating the right infrastructure and
providing knowledge are ways to narrow the digital divide.
What's
interesting here is why the digital divide should be narrowed. People think
that a healthy democracy can be achieved by narrowing the digital divide. They
say that people will be able to solve each other's problems and participate in
more activities by communicating with each other through the Internet. This
must be related to the ability to obtain information. The Internet is also more
associated with democracy because it is difficult to control information.
Democracy promotes faster growth of the Internet than totalitarianism.
What should be
the top priority to narrow the digital divide? Infrastructure? Supply of
devices?
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