Digital Divide (CS340)

Hello, bloggers!

This week’s topic is one that I don’t think gets talked about enough: the digital divide. We often hear about the stories of people experiencing poverty, health issues, or food insecurities, but we sometimes forget the additional struggles that people in these groups face. The digital divide can be described as the gap that exists between those who can easily access computers, the internet, and emerging technologies, and those who can’t (Kim). But why is this issue so important?

Well, for starters, not having access to the internet is a tremendous disadvantage in the modern world. We use our devices for everything, from learning to entertainment, and the truth is that in the United States, a majority of people own a smartphone (Kim). However great this may mean for those who are privileged to have access to this technology, it is a large barrier for those who don’t. Even something as simple as getting a minimum wage job can require one to have access to the internet (Lindsey). Not only that but having access to a device is only the first step. It is also very important to know how the device works!

This problem is also correlated with people of color and those who are lower on the economic ladder (Kim). When these marginalized groups of people don’t have access to the resources needed to succeed, that’s when they continue to stay where they are at. How can someone get out of that spot if they continue to get left behind?

This is why I think that it is so important to spread awareness of the digital divide. There are different ways to go about this, but as long as we stray from the status quo and react in a different way than we have been (Lindsey), we can solve this problem. The world just needs to understand that there is a problem.

That is all for today.