Digital Divides

So, right now I'm sat in my Digital Media workshop and we've been told to do some research and publish a blog post on digital divides. So let's see...

According to the little handout we've been given, digital divides refers to the split between those who have access to digital tools and the internet and those who don't. This term has come to be discussed in references to a number of perceived situations of inequality.

Okay, so I guess now I have to find out what it means by inequality...

So, the digital divide can be based on things like gender, income and location. The term itself used to refer to just PC ownership, with those in countries with limited technology or even in areas with just a simple lack of access obviously not having a personal computer at their disposal. Over time, though, it has come to refer to people that are cut off from information. This can mean anything from telephones to the internet.

After some digging around I found this article. It details a National Telecommunications and Information Administration study carried out in 2000 in America that found that "schools, libraries, and other public access points continue to serve those groups that do not have access at home. For example, certain groups are far more likely to use public libraries to access the Internet, such as the unemployed, Blacks, and Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders." It goes on to summarise that "Internet access is no longer a luxury item, but a resource used by many. Overall, the findings in this report show that there has been tremendous progress in just 20 months, but much work remains to be done. Computer ownership and Internet access rates are rapidly rising nationwide and for almost all groups. Nonetheless, there are still sectors of Americans that are not digitally connected."

An interesting example is the social divide in the case of the United Arab Emirates. Here they have two internet providers. Whilst most of the UAE is serviced by Etisalat, 70% being dial-up, Dubai is serviced by DIC-NET, which is broadband. Etisalat blocks a range of categories, including websites that contain information on drugs, alcohol, gay & lesbian dating, religion, sex education and pornography, as well as a whole range of others. To see some of these examples click here. Dubai, on the other hand, gives the user total access to anything they might have access to in western countries. As most of us know, Dubai is more advanced technologically than the rest of the UAE and makes a lot of money from tourism. It is a rich country, both in terms of wealth and socially.

There is also what is called the global digital divide between developed and developing countries. The divide is most evident in information and communications technology areas. For example, some places may have fixed-line telephones or broadband. Developing countries are getting there, though, slowly but surely. This is largely due to wireless technology, which can bridge the digital divide between rich and poor countries, avoiding the cost of developing an ICT infrastructure.

The top ten largest markets for mobile phones are mostly Asian and European countries, including the UK, Germany, France and Spain, but mobile phone markets in poorer countries in Asia and Africa are recording the strongest growth, with India being the fastest-growing.