Pros And Cons Of The Digital Divide

According to Mary H, digital divide is not only the gap between people who have access to technology and those who do not, it is also the inequality in the kind of access. Though most Americans access the technology, the difference in the quality of access remains. Yet the Constitution guarantees the equality of opportunity, the digital divide subsists in the USA because there is economic disparity among people. Therefore, some social class does not earn the advantages of technology and the gap between upper class and lower class will grow up.

It is most often referred to as the divide between “those with access to new technologies and those without” (Irving) or between “haves and have-nots”(Hecht) in terms of information technologies. However, using “access” to define digital divide is quite improper, since an opportunity to log on to the Web does not imply knowledge to use it efficiently. For example, situation in an underdeveloped country will not improve dramatically even if new technologies were artificially integrated in its economy, unless people have the proper skills to utilize them successfully. Likewise, the suitability of the second definition could also be questioned, as information should be measured in terms of quality, rather than of quantity, because specific information with exact economic value is what really matters in e-commerce (Foster 442-43). Probably the best way to characterize digital divide is as the growing social and economic disparities between the rich and the poor.

Income inequality is the unspoken truth of American life. Millions of Americans live in poverty while the minority holds the majority of the wealth. This problem has become more severe in recent years, with the wealth gap increasing exponentially. While innovation drives economics in the free market, recent innovations have caused the wealth gap to become skewed. Broadband Internet is one particular innovation that has spurred economic growth but has hurt the lower class. Broadband Internet can be defined as “768 Kbps download and 200 Kbps upload” (Dunbar). Although there are many varying classification of broadband Internet, this definition will be utilized for the purposes of this paper. The non-adoption of broadband Internet by those living

A twenty-seven percent jump is rather large in a five year period and the proportion of students that own cell phones will only keep rising. In high school students, it is found that eighty-eight percent own cell phones. (Engel) These statistics show how cellular technology has grown and diffused into this generation. Society is changing and it is crucial that the education system changes with it. Don Macneale had this to say about student’s test scores being the lowest they had been for fifteen years, “First, today's high school students are indeed different than those I encountered when I began teaching in 1970, and even from those in 1992. I'm not talking about discipline problems and attitude. The differences I'm talking about are technological. My students in 1970 didn't have video games to spend countless hours playing. They didn't have cell phones and text messaging where they practice some kind of shorthand code that bears little resemblance to the English language. And they certainly didn't have the Internet nor even all that is available today on cable or satellite television. I'm not condemning these things; I'm simply saying they have changed everything about the way our students

adults have a cell phone, up from 69% in April 2012” (para 4). Millennials grew up with

One would never think that that the digital divide would still be affecting America so greatly. From my unknowing perspective, I just assumed that many if not all Americans has basic tools such as having access to the internet. However, that is not the case, as it was made clear to me after reading your post. I’ve been taking my access to technology for granted as I have been fortunate enough to have had the chance to have the internet and build skills using modern technology. This divide is causing a big problem as more and more schools are trying to integrate using technology in their classes at the expense of possibly leaving the poorer students behind. If teachers assign homework or other assignment that are to be done using the internet

95% of Americans own a cell phone. 77% of Americans own a smartphone. The percent of smartphone users have doubled since 2011("Mobile Fact Sheet"). 96% of men own a cell phone while 95% of women own a cell phone. The ages 18-29 ~100% of people own a cell phone. Tablet computer sales are rising. 1 in 10 Americans use their cell phone primarily for the web("Mobile Fact Sheet"). Younger people are more reliant on smartphones. White people are more smartphone dependent than blacks or Hispanics. People with less income still had close to the same amount of smartphone use as people with high incomes. Surprising, people with less income are more smartphone dependent("Mobile Fact Sheet"). These are the facts about cell phone use in the United States. I wonder how many people use their cell phones just to talk to their dogs when they're not at

As technology becomes a vital component to many people’s lives, CN believes that broadband access for individuals increases the quality of life, and allows communities the opportunity to compete universally. Connected Nation looks to identify service apertures, and bridge the digital divide.

Whether you’re getting directions, calling a loved one to let them know you’re running a little late, or checking Facebook to catch up with an old high school friend, cell phones have began to dominate our technology based society due to their easy accessibility and endless uses. While “nine-in-ten Americans own a cell phone and nearly two-thirds own a smartphone,” the cell phone is has become one of the only things the vast majority of people deem necessary in their life (Rainie et al., 2015). “Ch 1: Always on Connectivity,” written by by Lee Rainie and Kathryn Zickuhr, explains how dependent adults really have become of our cell phones. “8 Fascinating Facts About How Teens Use The Internet And Social Media” elaborates

Although most Baby Boomers and seniors use the internet on their personal computers, 29% are also now using smartphones and 19% are using tablets. They use their cell phones to search for information, purchase goods and services, and to explore websites that spark their interest.

The digital divide is related to the access that certain people have to the knowledge and the resources necessary to keep up with society or to better their lifestyle. Researches has indicated that people from different socio-economic groups have limited access to technologies like unlimited internet access, the latest smartphones, or IPads which limits their personal and professional development. These restrictions contribute to what is known as the digital divide. Simply put, the digital divide is the division of knowledge and resources between the haves and the have-nots. The digital divide does exist but this should not be an excuse for people not to learn. As learned in our Principles of Adult Education class, adult learning can take place anywhere and anytime. People can learn in a classroom, on the job, or at home but learning is a contact sport and people have to want to

From digital age we have a more visual society. Images and photography have become part of our lives. The internet is overrun with images meaning the communication between others through cyberspace is more open than face to face communications. Digital age has already changed the way we shop, work and play, communication has incredible effect on our lives. Digital age goes so far beyond the areas of marketing and social

Pew (2017) examined the change in ownership of smartphones over time in the United States, the relationship to owning other mobile devices, and the prevalence of smartphone dependency. American are increasingly connected to the “digital” world via smartphones and other mobile devices. According to Pew research surveys in 2017 over 95% of Americans own a cellphone of some kind while 77% own and operate a smartphone. The percentage of smartphone ownership has increased tremendously compared to the first survey conducted in 2011, where only 35% of Americans had a smartphone. Smartphone ownership also exhibits a wide variation based on age, household income and educational attainment while maintaining a correlation with ownership of other mobile devices.

Hanson went on to say 90% of Americans ages 18-29 owned a cell phone by 2010. Of those 90%, The Pew Internet and American Life Project states that 65% used their phones to access the internet.

I would like to share with you what I have recently learned about obtaining information through the Internet. The Internet is a tremendous potential source of information about virtually any imaginable topic of interest. However, because there is no regulation or quality control over what people choose to publish online, it is crucial to learn ways of distinguishing credible, reliable, factually accurate information sources from those that are not credible, unreliable, factually inaccurate sources. For example, websites that are maintained by government agencies, accredited university research programs, and licensed professionals are good candidates to be considered reliable sources of information online.