Bridging the Digital Divide - 6 views

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  #1 Li-Ling Gan on 07 Oct 09

   

  http://www.riverdeep.net/current/2002/01/011402t_divide.jhtml
  
  This article essentially explains the concept of a digital divide, provides some statistics of this issue in the United States and brings up some of the problems that comes with such a subject.
  
  I personally feel that the digital divide is something that will only be rectified with time. As mentioned in the article, nearly 65% of college students already have internet access within their homes, and this percentage just continues to increase. The problem then is not bridging the digital divide within a society, but more of between different societies.This is because if a society is already open to technology, it is simply a matter of time before a large majority of people are assimilated in this techonolgically inclined culture. However, for the poorer undeveloped countries, techonology access and information doens't reach them as easily and it is thus harder to bride the digital divide between these societies and the developed ones.
  
  The ethical questions that surfaces are then two sided. One being how ethical is it to not share such technological information with these people of lesser developed countries. And secondly, is it ethical in the first place to want to introduce technology to these societies who might feel that they are better of the way they are. Is it right to assume that they would be better off with technology in their lives when they have been happily living without it all this time.

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner"><a href="http://www.riverdeep.net/current/2002/01/011402t_divide.jhtml" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.riverdeep.net/current/2002/01/011402t_divide.jhtml</a> <br /> <br /> This article essentially explains the concept of a digital divide, provides some statistics of this issue in the United States and brings up some of the problems that comes with such a subject. <br /> <br /> I personally feel that the digital divide is something that will only be rectified with time. As mentioned in the article, nearly 65% of college students already have internet access within their homes, and this percentage just continues to increase. The problem then is not bridging the digital divide within a society, but more of between different societies.This is because if a society is already open to technology, it is simply a matter of time before a large majority of people are assimilated in this techonolgically inclined culture. However, for the poorer undeveloped countries, techonology access and information doens't reach them as easily and it is thus harder to bride the digital divide between these societies and the developed ones. <br /> <br /> The ethical questions that surfaces are then two sided. One being how ethical is it to not share such technological information with these people of lesser developed countries. And secondly, is it ethical in the first place to want to introduce technology to these societies who might feel that they are better of the way they are. Is it right to assume that they would be better off with technology in their lives when they have been happily living without it all this time.</div>

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