Some Briefing on Digital Divide

Digital divide has to do with the fact that in the whole planet there are people who can have access to and the capability to use modern digital technology, such as, information and communication technologies, (ICT’s), digital television, smart phones, computers, tablets, the Internet, etc., and people who simply cannot. The digital divide exists between those in cities and those in rural areas. It also exists between the educated and the uneducated, between economic classes; and between developed and developing nations. A lack of access to digital technology is a disadvantage, whereas those who do have access have a huge knowledge base that can only be found online.

While it is true that the digital divide relates to the ownership of, or access to current technologies, there is still another important aspect about the digital divide. People are not only divided in the ownership and access to current technologies, but it is also divided in the skills to effectively use the technology. Several scenarios converge: users who do not have acceptable proficiency to obtain the minimal benefits using the technology, and other users who do not have any skills at all and, of course, are unable to use and benefit from the technology. And another, I would call, a “sad” scenario, which has to do with “technophobia”. Technophobic people feel unreasonable fears and are disinterested at everything related to digital technology.

The Governments of all countries, including Venezuela, need to advocate for adequate budgets to support not only the purchase of the actual technologies but as well the funds needed to adequately prepare the teachers. Parents and students need to commit use digital technology in all schools. Teachers must learn current technologies and be ready to implement them in their classrooms as often as possible.

The following video defines briefly and in an interesting way, the term digital divide. I recommend you to watch it so that you can sort of enrich and conceptualize better the phenomenon of digital divide: 

References:

http://www.edutopia.org/digital-divide-where-we-are-today

http://ethicsandtechnologyuseineducation.blogspot.com/2010/11/digital-divide.html