...The Digital Divide and Society Vincen Brown Eng/147 May 2, 2015 Erin Nemiroff The Digital Divide and Society Ever wonder how the digital divide in our country could affect you and your family? The digital divide is bigger than we think, and it affects us all differently. Technology is advancing faster than anyone could have imagined 20 years ago. Some people are being left behind because they do not want to learn the latest in technological advancements. It also has an effect on our youth with how education is being taught in the 21st century. How do all of these advancements in technology affect our economy? There is a digital divide in our country's healthcare, education, and economics. Understanding the digital divide in these areas advancements in technology, education for our students, and help stimulate economic growth and progress. The digital divide has a major effect on the healthcare system and some of its features. The technology advancements in the healthcare system have been incredible over the past couple years. People are using the latest in technology to access such resources as information about an illness they could have or a person's medical records. The "The Great Digital Divide in Healthcare: Older Americans May Be Left Behind" (2014) a website that points outpatients may gain access to their medical records via smartphone, tablet, or computer. People will have access to reminders of when they are due for visits, screening...
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...lives greatly. This essay concentrates on the digital revolution and the digital divide in the world today. Many today's technology achievements and improvements of people's quality of life should owe to the digital revolution. Digital revolution, which is also named the third industrial revolution or the third technological revolution, means the innovation of computers and the repaid spread of the communication equipments and it includes the revolution of the society and the technology, which usually refer in particular to the arguments created when these technology widely used (H.Jenkins & D.Thorburn, The Digital Revolution, the Informed Citizen, and the Culture of Democracy, 2003, p.1). However, this revolution can to some extent be a wicked problem for its search of solution could never stop and each solution of a digital solution is always a "one-shot" operation as well as the difficulty to generate a solution immediately or ultimately (J.C.Camillus, 2008, p.100). As for the first one, since digital industry is an emerging industry, the problems of the digital revolution can hardly be clarified in the foreseeable future (J.C.Camillus, 2008, p.100). Thus, the same as the wicked problem, the digital revolution has no stopping rule as well since it needs to keep finding new solutions for new problems (J.C.Camillus, 2008, p.100). For the second one, because of the lack experience in the digital industry, the problem appeared in digital revolution is hard to be imitated, so, unlike...
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...The Digital Divide INF 103 Computer Literacy Sean O’Leary, DM, MBA 4/21/14 The digital divide is a phrase used to address the gap between those who have ready access to the information and communication technologies, the knowledge that they provide access to, and those who do not. In the global digital information age those who are either unable to access the internet are increased disadvantage in their access to information. In most western nations government policies are being established which attempt to ensure that all citizens have the opportunity to access and effectively use the internet, in order to enable them to participate fully in the educational, social and economic activities. While it can be argued that several factors contribute to the digital divide, economics appears to be the biggest contributing factors for access to the Digital Opportunity Index. The Introduction to Digital Literacy, explains the digital divide as related to threat that results from groups of underprivileged people not having access to computers and the internet. According to Bowles, 2013, the fact that some people have easy access to the benefits computers provide; while many others are cut off from them, is considered an ethical issue. The information rich are on one side, and those who are poor, living in underdeveloped countries, or who live in a rural area with no internet access on the other side. The number of homes in the United States with personal...
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...Report Title: poverty versus digital divide gap Course- Research Methodology (MGT 411) Presented by:- Md.Tariqul Islam Students of BBA 2nd batch, 4th year 2nd semester Roll no- 06671622 Session 2006-2007 Section- B E-mail:-tareq622 @gmail.com Department of Management Studies Under the supervision of (Mr.Md.Shahidul Islam Fakir, associate professor, department of Management studies) Faculty of Business Studies JAGANNATH UNIVERSITY DHAKA Submission date- June , 2012 Title of report: digital divide gap vs. poverty. Is there any relation between them? Table of content |Serial no |Title |Page no | |1 |Abstract | | |2 |Literature review | | |3 |Background and ICT status of Bangladesh | | |4 |Executive summary | | |5 |Main body (Current scenario, Challenge, Recommendation) | ...
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...AND THE DIGITAL DIVIDE 1 African Americans and the Digital Divide; Are We Closing the Gap? Submitted for Course Number CIT 514 CIT-514 90 INFORMATION AND DECISION SUPPORT - 90 Concord North Carolina June 30, 2011 RUNNING head: AFRICAN AMERICANS AND THE DIGITAL DIVIDE 2 The Digital Divide and African Americans: Are We Closing the Gap? What is the Digital Divide? Defining Digital Divide Since the beginning of the technology and digital ages there have been a lot of discussions about the use of new technology amongst minorities and the poor. These discussions have spurned lots of thoughts and definitions about the digital divide. The digital divide can be defined in a number of ways. It can be defined as the fact that certain parts of the population have substantially better opportunities to benefit from the new economy than other parts of the population (Nielsen, 2006). The digital divide can also be defined as the gap between individuals, households, businesses, and geographic areas at different socio-economic levels with regard both to opportunities to access information and communications technologies and their use of the internet for a wide variety of activities (Flemings, 2011). Lastly, and probably the simplest definition is the gap between those who benefit from digital technology and those who cannot (Smith, "Digital Divide" Defined (Hint: it's not about access.)). All of these definitions are correct and accurately describe the digital divide. Digitalization...
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...Digital Divide Vincent Koke INF Computer Literacy Ashford University Meredith Kiljan May 6, 2013 It didn’t take long after the technological boom that accompanied the internet era for us to realize that we now had to face the problems that would come from the Digital Divide. Almost immediately we began to see a separation of large proportions regarding age, race and lower income households. Whenever there is a divide created in society if it is not addressed quickly it can grow roots and have severe long term affects. This is a problem that if left alone could do catastrophic damage to the economic and social stability of the United States and the world. When the technical explosion erupted decades ago, Hispanics and African Americans as well as other minority’s where much less likely to use one of these incredible machines. As time went by another problem presented itself. As this innovation grew it became obvious that these groups had less access to the Web. This coupled with slower online connections and antiquated equipment put them on the wrong side of the digital divide. This technology is becoming almost a necessity in this day and age. It is clear that having quality internet access can be beneficial in many ways. It gives the user an avenue to educational opportunities, employment, and public health availability. It is extremely critical that we are able to provide lower income households the ability to acquire a quality...
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...that are not connected, not to mention the world community as a whole. According to a report by McKinsey & Co. (2014), there are 4.4 billion people that are offline worldwide and 3.4 of those individuals offline live in just 20 countries. These billions of people that cannot access the Internet as easily as those more fortunate suffer from achieving a greater economic standing, education, social mobility, or other benefits that help improve overall life. This is not just a problem for those that aren’t as privileged, but for everyone whether they are connected or not. The input, opinions, and contributions from those who are not connected cannot be made to help better the world community until they are connected. It is crucial the digital divide that separates the fortunate and unfortunate is bridged for it is consistently widening. This research paper defines and...
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...Is Digital Technology Harming Our Students? Barbara Rivera AIU Online Abstract In a society so technologically developed with users that range from children through old age rises a debate on whether technology is helpful to students in school. Surveys have shown that students spend numerous hours focusing on digital devices to communicate and access social media. With the over use of digital technology comes negative effects that hinder a student’s ability to grasp and retain knowledge. Furthermore, there is evidence that they also suffer from physical effects. Some argue that the ease of access of information is beneficial to the students, but studies show that student don’t utilize digital media appropriately. Is Digital Technology Harming Our Students? In today’s fast pace moving society people enjoy the convenience of digital technology all around them. From wireless laptops at home to tablets and smartphones on the go people have access to instant information and the ability to connect instantly through social media and messaging. As society moves forward in an ever-changing and evolving world of technology there raises questions to the impact technology has in different settings (i.e. school, work, and home). There have been many debates on the issue of whether technology is helpful or a hindrance in schools. While there are some pros to technology in the classroom, one has to look at the cons closely as society in general is becoming overwhelmingly dependent on...
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...Technology and Social Change Tina Medina SOC/100 May 2, 2016 Andrea Harris Technology and Social Change This essay is about technology and social change, which are two things that have a huge impact in our world today. Ramey (2013), "Technology is a body of knowledge devoted to creating tools, processing actions and extracting of materials. We use technology to accomplish various tasks in our daily lives, in brief; we can describe technology as products, processes or organizations.” (para. 1). According to "Social Change Defined" (n.d.), "Social change refers to any significant alteration over time in behavior patterns and cultural values and norms.” (para. 1). Now that we have the definitions of technology and social change it is easy to see how they are related. No matter where or what you are going in your life it has been impacted my technology some way and have socially changed how we accomplish things in our everyday life. Some examples; checking out at the store can now be done through a self-checkout lane, you no longer need a map to travel with GPS available in your car, and people can work from home because of computers and advanced technology. All of these technology changes have made people learn new ways to complete tasks throughout their day and social change has occurred. Impact of Technology in Society Computers, cell phone, and the Internet have changed are lives drastically and is a part of everyone’s life in one form or another. Communication across...
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...Technology and Social Change Steven D. Smith SOC\100 March 28, 2016 Dr. Shayne Aloe Technology and Social Change Technology plays in iatrical role in society. Technology has a big influence and the advancements in technology can cause social change. Even though we create advancements in technology, even the society that makes those changes is impacted as well. This paper will address the impact of personal computers, cell phones, and the Internet on society. This paper will also review technological developments that relate to the three major sociological perspectives such as; equilibrium model, digital divide, and cultural lag. The use of computers has increased dramatically over the years, and the use of computers has changed the lives of many people and how they do things. Computers are a very complex tool, but they are also very useful. Computers can be used for many different functions such as; keeping in touch with distant relatives and friends, research, conducting business, doing homework, or for entertainment. Computers are a very useful piece of technology that most people have and use at home or work. Being on the computer can take away from being productive and cause procrastination for most. Everton, Jolton, and Mastrangelo (2006) state, “Computers have undoubtedly changed the way people work, but they have also changed the way people avoid and sabotage work” (p. 730). The Internet ties personal computer and smartphones together which has affected current...
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...Bridging the Digital Divide in America Pseftis Angelis Ethics in Information Technology Professor Jean M Mc Kenzie University of Maryland University College Abstract Years ago people said the world was flat. Later this theory was disproved when Magellan circumvented the world in 1522. In America the expression “the world is flat” relates to us all by connecting the world to us through the use of the internet. With the internet and technology connecting all of us, it is increasingly important that people have access to the internet so they too can participate in the world around them. Technology has curved the way we live our lives on a daily basis. Social media, elections, bill paying, communication, leisure entertainment and education are all done or can be done through the use of the internet. For example, teachers use technology for educational purposes giving the kids access to use computers, smartphones, tablets and the internet to search and expand the resources from what the school has to offer. Research has proven that schools and communities that have access to the internet and computers average an income $30,000 higher than those that don’t. This is the metaphorical gap we need to bridge in the United State of America. The goal is to ensure 100% of our country has access to the internet with the skills they need to utilize it and understand its capabilities. The Importance of Bridging the Digital Divide in America The term “digital divide” is often used...
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...written in 2009 requesting two million dollars to bridge the digital divide within our community. The grant was approved and a motion to coordinate a curriculum develop project has been accepted by the schools board committee. The goal of this project is to integrate technology among all middle schools that is at present an underserved community with limited access to technology. All stakeholders will be compiled into committees and a point of direct contact will be delegated for each group. After all decisions have been made and the implementation phase begins, the program will receive formative and summative evaluations that will continue to occur as for the duration of the program. Power in Technology The Houston County School District, plagued with a high crime rate, high unemployment, and extreme poverty, has found itself deficient of the skills needed to perform day-to-day-tasks. Many of the people in this community have been impacted by deficiencies passed down from generation to generation. For example, some of the women who currently receive governmental assistance (public housing, welfare and food vouchers) are descendents of those who received the same assistance. This sometimes extends as far back as 4 generations. With this taken into consideration the Houston County School District (HCSD) has hired, Bridgett Standring, to assemble a community wide committee to address the digital divide that now exists within its district. Learning Gap (wow...
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...worry. Reason one, the technology will be unevenly distributed, meaning that the gap between rich, poor and young, old will actually widen. In today’s academic world, a very noticeable gap exists between the technology teacher’s use in their lesson plans and the level of technological experience most students have. And in most cases, the students come out on top. From social media to computers, students are more ahead of most of their teachers and this may cause many problems when teachers try to both engage their students in the material and stay ahead of their ability to learn. It's true that some teachers have an excellent understanding of technology, but a large percentage of teachers—even young teachers—are lagging behind, technologically speaking, when compared to their students. Even as technology becomes more affordable and internet access seems increasingly ubiquitous, a “digital divide” between rich and poor remains. The rich and educated are still more likely than others to have good access to digital resources. For children in low-income school districts, inadequate access to technology can hinder them from learning the tech skills that are crucial to success in today’s economy. Reason two; Technology is being used as a crutch Students are quick to turn to the internet to answer questions. Because of this some believe that critical thinking has gone down. This may be a large issue...
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...E-GOVERNANCE INITIATIVES TO BRIDGE DIGITAL DIVIDE IN MAHARASHTRA By, Jessica Yvonne Varma (1321250) Bithika Karmakar (1321246) India is a diverse Country with different cultures, languages and religions. Some of the main challenges faced by India are its humongous growth in population, insufficient funds to meet the needs, delays in implementation of government policies etc. These are all some of the main factors which cause unequal development of society. While some people enjoy the luxury of resources, some remain left out. When we look back to the past evolution of technology in India, along with the growth and better opportunities it created, it tended to also heighten social inequalities and unrest. While internet in India has reached a peak of 100 million users (according to IAMAI report of 2012), only 20percent of urban Indians are connected and only 3 percent of rural Indians are connected. While the upper and the middle classes are enjoying the prosperity and happiness of India’s fast growing economy, the majority of our nation is left in darkness. They are ignorant to all the development. This is the digital divide that is splitting our nation apart. Bill Clinton had mentioned that “It is dangerously destabilizing to have half the world on the cutting edge of technology while the other half struggles on the bare edge of survival.” The basic requirement for reducing digital divide is to provide affordable IT infrastructure in all geographical...
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...Information Privacy is a somewhat fresh concept. It is considered the third—and newest— layer controlled through digital technology (Anita Beveridge, 2014). Privacy is important in one’s personal and professional life. My definition of privacy is something that belongs to an individual person such as my personal information, things that I purchased myself, something that I have the right to that no one else does without my permission. According to Merriam Webster dictionary privacy is defined, “as the quality or state of being apart from company or observation” and/or “freedom from unauthorized intrusion.” The concept of information privacy has become more important as more systems controlling more information appear. It was suggested in about 1986 that information systems would increase privacy concerns (Bélanger, 2014), in present time this proves have been an accurate prediction. Information systems can develop the world with amplified access to information which includes communication and better productivity of large systems. We can enhance our lives with the usage of technology. With this same technology privacy can be destroyed and economies can be harmed by unethical acts such as cyber-attacks. The need to observe the go-ahead between information-sharing efforts and privacy and civil liberties is only likely to raise more pressing as the nature of the threats facing the United States shifts (Nelson, 2014). As technology continues to develop new ways to gather...
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