ICT Lesson ~ Digital Divide

The Digital Divide refers to any inequalities between groups, broadly construed, in terms of access to, use of, or knowledge of information and communication technologies. The divide inside countries (such as the digital divide in the United States) can refer to inequalities between individuals, households, businesses, and geographic areas at different socioeconomic and other demographic levels, while the Global digital divide designates countries as the units of analysis and examines the divide between developing and developed countries on an international scale.

Significance:

There are people who arent familiar with new technologies or using computers. This means that not only them but also their family begin to fall behind others who regularly use computers in terms of IT skills.
When they want to apply for a job they might find it harder to compete with others who are familiar with computers and software applications. Their children could be disadvantaged because a lot of homework and projects now require research using the Internet.
The digital divide is also apparent between countries. A lot of people in the UK, Europe, the U.S. are confident users of technology. Whereas people who live in rural parts of say Africa might never have seen a computer. Even if they could afford to buy one, they might not have the electricity to run one or the training in how to use one.

How to ovecome it ?
1) An individual must be able to connect in order to achieve enhancement of social and cultural capital and achieve mass economic gains in productivity. Therefore access is a necessary (but not sufficient) condition for overcoming the digital divide. Access to ICT meets significant challenges that stem from income restrictions.

2) Driving down the costs or ICT, which includes low cost technologies and shared access through Telecentres.