The digital divide - we have all heard of it, the disparity of information and communications technology (ICT) access based on our demographics (Hannah, 2021). Inequality is defined as the differing levels of access (usually based on income and wealth) to social resources such as housing, healthcare, education, transportation, etc. It moves way from the idea of fairness (subjective) to a more empirical, measurable, and objective idea of access. When we apply this concept to information and technology, what we end up with is the - Inequality of Information Access. This can include, but not limited it, consistent internet access, high and low powered devices, low cost internet plans, and ultimately reliable connectivity (Hannah, 2021).
The digital divide has become increasingly prevalent between urban and rural populations around our country. Households that reside in urban areas, tend to have access to robust infrastructure with more competition, which leads to lower overall prices and more reliable and faster connections. However, some rural areas may never see high speed connectivity in relation to their urban neighbors. and if they do the price may be out of their reach. There is work being done to increase the spread of fiber connections throughout the rural United States. Billions of dollars will be spent to increase the footprint of fiber based internet access in rural areas of the country (Porter, 2021) over the next few years. This, along with specialized training, can begin to shrink the divide.
The urban and rural divide also brings about a discussion on the political divide (democratic divide). One area that is of concern is the use of the internet as a means of participation in the political realm. Those with limited access to the internet are at a disadvantage of not having access to up to date information and the ability to share ideas. There is an ongoing debate that the internet can contribute to democracy by creating community and establish bonds regardless of region and territory (Min, 2010).
However, there may be more to the divide than what we believe to be true. According to the census data, there are more urban households without internet access than rural households. The reasons for lack of access is different for both areas. Rural areas tend to suffer from a lack of infrastructure while urban areas suffer from a lack of digital literacy, cost, and education (Trollip, 2021).
The digital divide is relevant to education today, as it represents a growing impasse for many of our students. As someone who works in a large urban college, I am aware of the disparity in access to devices, internet access, and general knowledge of digital tools but never the actual numbers of those it effected. I was surprised to learn that urban areas are often just as underserved as many rural areas. In the future, I will need to dig deeper into the digital divide so that I can better serve my current and future students.
Future Reference:
Works cited:
Hanna, K. T. (2021, August 11). What is the digital divide and how is it being bridged? WhatIs.com. Retrieved September 1, 2022, from https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/digital-divide
Porter, E. (2021, June 1). A rural-urban broadband divide, but not the one you think of. The New York Times. Retrieved September 1, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/01/business/rural-urban-broadband-biden.html
Seong-Jae Min (2010) From the Digital Divide to the Democratic Divide: Internet Skills, Political Interest, and the Second-Level Digital Divide in Political Internet Use, Journal of Information Technology & Politics, 7:1, 22-35, DOI: 10.1080/19331680903109402
Trollip, A. (2021, March 5). Understanding the urban digital divide. Bipartisan Policy Center. Retrieved September 1, 2022, from https://bipartisanpolicy.org/blog/urban-broadband-blog/
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