In this essay I will be exploring the digital divide and how it has changed throughout the years. The digital divide is the differences between people, families, businesses and geographical areas created by different levels of access to information and communication technologies. There are many factors that contribute to the digital divide such as...
Technological factors
One reason for differences in access to the internet is the communications structure available. In the UK, all areas of the country have access to fixed line telephones and about 90% have access to mobile communications. Access to broadband communications depends on where you live. Rural areas will have less readily available broadband connections whereas city areas will have
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At a personal level they could include missing bargains, issues to do with employment and business opportunities as a means of making a living. Some countries cannot afford the investment. Others such as North Korea don’t want to open their economies to the outside. In some countries, businesses are not interested because the people are so poor that there is no profit for them in return for the investment. Also there are social impacts of the digital divide. In the UK, there are some who cannot afford new equipment; therefore they cannot keep up with the increasing speed of development. Although it could be argued that this is not an issue in the UK, most people have enough money for quite a high standard of living so connecting up is usually a matter of personal priorities. The educational impact is that in the UK, there is a lot of Government-provided IT access at school. Every school is expected to teach ICT and all UK schools are connected to the internet. As we have already seen, the nature of the provision varies a lot. Even at a local level, there are different degrees of provision in different areas. The cultural impact is that the patchy nature of internet connections across the world has affected and has also been affected by local customs and attitudes. In particular, there are some countries which severely restrict the degree to which citizens can access the internet. China places …show more content…
Some schools are loaning equipment to pupils, particularly to those with special needs. Also increased competition in the telecom market has meant that broadband access has been made available more quickly, as companies race to cash in on the desire to connect at high speed. The benefits of being connected are apparent to most people and demand will ensure that the supply is eventually provided. Affordability is less of an issue as prices come down, some say “people will afford it if they want it”
Benefits
• computer skills can help people avoid poverty
• can greatly improve their standard of living
• ICT skills can help get knowledge that can improve their
And unlike cable modems, DSL is not a bus technology, so the bandwidth available to the end user is more consistent. However, despite all of its positive attributes, DSL is not without flaw. For instance, in order to be eligible for DSL, the end user must be geographically within a certain distance from the central telephone office,otherwise the signal degradation is too great and DSL is unfeasible (for ADSL that distance is two miles.) In addition, numerous standards still exist for DSL,hardware is still comparatively pricey, and service is available only in limited areas. Despite these drawbacks, DSL is still a faster alternative to analog modems and ISDN, and should rival cable modems as far as actual bandwidth
As I have briefly pointed out, the non-traditional student (at least initially) finds their motivation to go back to college is due to financial hardship. Since the recession we have seen more, and more people find the need/urgency to get a bachelor’s degree. Along with the financial hardship of this culture, the non-traditional student has to over come even more obstacles than their traditional counterpart. These obstacles would include raising children, having a spouse, and working an additional job (or even two jobs). So with all this said, who cares?
Part A Question 3 Discuss van Dijk’s causal model of information inequality (see page 24) and the five types of access (i.e., motivational access, material access, skills access, and usage access). Discuss the incremental nature of these access points and discuss how these access points interact and impact our individual and collective ability to utilize new information and networked technologies. In The Deepening Divide by Van Dijk, the casual model of information inequality shows the bridges and connections of people’s characteristics and how their surroundings can affect their access to technology. The most common way of categorizing these types of characteristics are demographics.
A recent report from People for Education (2014) stated that 99% of elementary and secondary students in Ontario have access to computers at school. School district websites indicate access is also high for students in British Columbia and in Halifax where programs to provide new and refurbished computers for students is thriving. In many cases, schools are ensuring a 1:1 ratio of computers to students. Having the computers, however, is the easy part.
Sue Honoré, an independent learning consultant who has studied people who were born from 1982 to 2002 has that “while young people are "undoubtedly capable of long periods of concentration", those who spend a lot of time alone using technology tend to have less in the way of communication skills, self-awareness and emotional intelligence”. It has been proven that around 31 nations that students who used computers everyday in class had lower test scores in reading and math than students who don’t use them as much (Study: Students Who Use in School Doesn’t Help Test Scores). Though technology is amazing and has given so many people different opportunities they would’ve never had before it is resulting in a few bad habits for students. Casey Schools systems around the United States have begun to rely on technology to teach their students instead of teachers to teach them. According Michael Godsey, a veteran high-school English educator, even said and agreed with many people today that we are at the point in time where since we have the internet at our fingertips, there is really no need for teachers
In the perspective of third world's countries, it is shown to give many opportunities for employment, but what large corporations won't tell you is that they are exploiting the smaller less industrialized and causing havoc and damage to them. For instance, China's pollution rate is
In short, it is the different access of information between those who have access to the internet and those who don’t. It is a social issue which brings in to place a number of factors such as physical access and skills that individuals may or may not have. The digital divide accounts for physical factors such as an individual physically have access to PC or broadband and also the quality of access, for example an individual having the skills and training to access information. The digital age represents how we, as a society, are able to participate in the economic, social and political factors that affect our lives. This furthermore underlines the significance of the digital divide in people’s existence.
The new communications technologies that are based on computers, multimedia computers, local area networks (LANs), Internet, digital TV) that could be clear operationally as systems and resources are for processing, storage and diffusion of digitised information that is based on use of computer technology, are causing reflective changes and alterations of social and cultural nature, as well as economic. To such an extent the social impact of new technologies is so controlling that states are entering into a new period or stage of human civilisation, which is assumed as the "knowledge society" (Boyd and Crawford, 2012). It is noted that the way we communicate each other has changed forever. However, the proximity of email has exchanged the
* Organizations and financial specialists get much more extensive open doors for speculation. * Organizations have the capacity to secure info merchandise and administrations required at most aggressive costs. * Assets of diverse nations are utilized for delivering merchandise and administrations they find themselves able to do most proficiently. Disadvantages of Globalization: * Created nations can smother improvement of undeveloped and immature nations. *
The One laptop per child initiative has provided many laptops to various countries across the world, and has recorded statistics for each country it has provided to. Some examples include; Cameroon (1,600 devices), Rwanda (110,000 devices) and Brazil (2,600 devices) – as shown on this interactive map; http://one.laptop.org/map, which shows to me that this initiative has already shown its potential, and that when it is more widely used by countries across the world that it can bridge the gap caused by Economy to the greatest extent. Furthermore, as more technology is developed over time, it will become more cost effective to provide these children with more powerful devices allowing for the use of more sophisticated software, allowing them to push the boundaries of what they can learn and show off, and with more funding in the future, the One laptop per child initiative will be able to cover more areas with devices and allow more schoolchildren to share in the experiences of those already using these devices to broaden the scope
Firstly, students who come from a low socioeconomic background (SES) may not have access to technological resources (Hyde, Carpenter & Conway, 2011). As a result, some cases have been made to exclude technology in the classroom. Teachers have found lack of access to computers in the classroom a significant barrier to implementing technology (Kemker, 2007). Although these concerns are valid, once delved into, SES is not a reason to exclude technology. There is a program called One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) which aims to provide 500,000 laptops to students in remote/regional communities (Kennedy, 2012).
The Great Firewall of China The Internet has made it easy for anyone to have access to information and to connect with people around the globe. While this technological advancement has improved every aspect of life, not every country is on board with the idea. Communist China has censored its people from having access to various forms of media including cable news, books, and now the World Wide Web. China blocks many websites in an attempt to hide information from its public and has been doing this for years.
• Lower Government Acquisitions: Economic growth makes higher assessment incomes and there is less need to use funds on profits. For example, unemployment benefits. Subsequently, it serves to diminish obtaining. Likewise, it assumes a part in decreasing obligation to GDP degrees. DISADVANTAGES Long term financial development puts an awful effect on the inhabitants of any nation.
It contributes to Computer Vision Syndrome which causes eyestrain, headaches, blurred vision and dry eyes. Users may also have a higher incidence of musculoskeletal disorders associated with repetitive strain on muscles, “text neck”, shoulder pain, and fibromyalgia (American Optometric Association). They are also seen as being more expensive than printed textbooks. Since the Ministry of Education cannot simply buy the hardware alone, investment must also be made in the software, ensuring that the Wi-Fi infrastructure is up and running, and the training teachers and administrators on how to use the technology as they did with the laptops. Another disadvantage is that it causes too many distractions in the class especially at the crucial levels of Standards Four and Five.
Technology not only benefit the students but also the Teacher. The teacher benefits from having technology in the class room. By having just a single laptop, a webcam, a projector, and an