Digital Divide – Digitális szakadék jelentése
The term digital divide refers to the gap between those with regular, effective access to digital and information technology, and those without it. According to Mehra (2004), the digital divide is “the troubling gap between those who use computers and the internet and those who do not” (Mehra et al, 2004, p.782). It encompasses both physical access to technology, hardware and, more broadly, the resources and skills needed to effectively participate as a digital citizen. Groups often discussed in the context of a digital divide include socioeconomic (rich/poor), racial (white/minority), or geographical (urban/rural). Also as stated by Mehra (2004), The four major components that attribute to digital divide are “socioeconomic status, with income, educational level, and race among other factors associated with technological attainment” (Mehra et al, 2004, p.782). The term global digital divide refers to differences in technology access between countries.
Digital divide shows that the world is split into two sections: people who have and people who don’t have access to digital/ modern information technology such as mobile phones, telephones, television, internet etc. The digital divide exists between those in cities and those in country (rural) areas. A 1999 study showed that 86% of Internet delivery in the US was to the 20 largest cities. The digital divide affects those in the 3rd world countries, as they do not have access to this technology. Recently however, mobile phone technology has been more accessible to rural areas, allowing wireless communication between villagers. While schools are better equipped than ever before, the variation in learning that takes place at home is huge. Children only spend 15% of their lives at school. The learning that takes place at home is extremely important to their future.
- 2.5m schoolchildren do not have access to the Internet at home
- High income families are 5 times more likely to own a home computer than low income families
Technology offers a unique opportunity to extend learning support beyond the classroom, something that has proved impossible to do until now.“The variety of functions that the internet can serve for the individual user makes it “unprecedentedly malleable” to the user’s current needs and purposes” (Bargh & McKenna, 2001, p. 577). But the digital divide means that millions of children are currently denied this help. Essentially, this means the divide between those who have access to digital technology and those who do not. Nonetheless, the recognition of digital divide as an immense problem has led scholars, policymakers, and the public (Mehra et al, 2004) to understand the “potential of the internet to improve everyday life for those on the margins of society and to achieve greater social equity and empowerment” (Mehra et al, 2004, p.782).The divide takes in to account wealth, ethnicity and the area of those in the divide.
