Factors such as low literacy and income levels, geographical restrictions , lack of motivation to use technology, lack of physical access to technology, and digital illiteracy contribute to the digital divide.
What is digital divide and its causes?
The gap in a digital divide may exist for a number of reasons. ... Most commonly, a digital divide stems from poverty and the economic barriers that limit resources and prevent people from obtaining or otherwise using newer technologies .
How does the digital divide happen?
The idea of the “digital divide” refers to the growing gap between the underprivileged members of society , especially the poor, rural, elderly, and handicapped portion of the population who do not have access to computers or the internet; and the wealthy, middle-class, and young Americans living in urban and suburban ...
What causes digital divide in education?
Unequal access to high-speed internet and home devices in conjunction with the increase in teachers assigning homework assignments that require internet use —in 2009, seven out of 10 teachers assigned homework that required using the internet—has made for an expanding digital divide in education.
What are the causes of gender digital divide?
The root causes of this difference are high costs, lack of digital know-how, scarcity of content that is relevant and empowering for women , and barriers to women speaking freely and privately online.
What are examples of digital divide?
Causes and Examples of the Digital Divide
Factors such as low literacy and income levels, geographical restrictions , lack of motivation to use technology, lack of physical access to technology, and digital illiteracy contribute to the digital divide.
Why digital divide is a problem?
The coronavirus crisis has shown the effects of the digital divide in education: teachers and students out of the loop because they lack sufficient technology and digital skills . It also increases lack of knowledge by limiting access to knowledge.
What are the three types of digital divide?
- Gender Divide. According to a 2013 report, the internet gender gap is striking especially in developing countries. ...
- Social Divide. Internet access creates relationships and social circles among people with shared interests. ...
- Universal Access Divide.
How does digital divide affect people’s lives?
“Those who find themselves on the wrong side of the digital divide—including low-income people, those with less formal education, rural populations, the elderly and older workers, and minorities—suffer further economic, social, health, and political disparities resulting from disconnection ,” Barton writes.
Who benefits from the digital divide?
Who benefits from the rapid rise of this issue on the international agenda? This article argues that the promotion of the digital divide as a policy issue benefits four major groups: information capital, developing country governments, the development “industry,” and global civil society .
What does digital divide in education mean?
However, the “digital divide”—the gap between people who have sufficient knowledge of and access to. technology and those who do not—persists.2 In education, this digital divide is often referred to as the. “ homework gap ” because of the challenges that students in technology-deficient circumstances face.
What qualities of digital divide make it a big issue in school?
Many educators have pointed out that the major issues in the digital divide are related to a lack of interest in technology as well as a lack of access to technology . For example, although computers are available to schools or classrooms, many teachers or students do not sufficiently utilize them.
How can the digital divide be overcome in education?
- Provide students and parents with take-home technologies.
- Increase students’ and parents’ access through community centers.
- Improve students’ access to technology, and the quality of that access, in their classrooms and schools.
How can we reduce gender by digital divide?
The adoption of mobile technologies alone can play a substantial role in shortening the gender divide by making women “feel safer and more connected, and provide access to information, services and life-enhancing opportunities like health information, financial services and employment opportunities” (GSMA Mobile Gender ...
How does gender affect digital divide?
The gender digital gap is evident in the corporate world too. In South Africa, women make up 5% of CEOs in ICT companies as compared to 22.5% in the United States. ... Women will suffer in the 4IR as they are less likely to be part of areas where adoption of new technology will lead to job creation.
How can we stop the digital divide?
- 1) Increase affordability. ...
- 2) Empowering users. ...
- 3) Improve the relevance of online content. ...
- 4) Internet infrastructure development. ...
- 5) Address gender gap in internet access.
