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11. Digital Divide

All Past Paper Questions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dEvIXD3LYLy4fwGxFIdsYjPvSiY4H8aj-JAwzqqYQto/edit?usp=sharing

Digital Divide​

  • meaning

    • divide between who has access to new information technology and who do not
      • eg: PC, Internet, TV, etc...
    • divide between those who have skills and knowledge and who do not
    • divide can exist
      • on who lives in urban areas and rural areas
        • no infrastructure in rural areas
      • between educated and uneducated
      • between economic classes (rich and poor)
        • poor cannot buy new equipment
        • will have to rent old equipment
          • old equipment is not advanced
        • low incentives to provide infrastructure to poor areas
          • due to low demand
      • between old and young people
        • as young people has grown up with technology
        • old people might be unwilling to learn
        • government could encourage and carry training camps
        • fund organizations that teach digital literacy
        • schools could allow them to access infrastructure and learn
          • and also teach them
          • in evenings or holidays
        • technology is seen as something for the young
        • many older people have already established means of communication
          • so, they do not need new technologies
      • inequalities between individuals, households, bussinesses, geographical areas
      • divide between countries or regions
      • between countries of world
        • called "global digital divide"
      • inequalities of quality of internet connection
      • inequalities of price of internet connection
      • in less developed countries
        • the population has access to limited digital services
    • disabilities of potential internet users constitute another type of digital divide
    • can be overcome by
      • community teachhing programs
        • for old people
        • to teach to use new advanched technologies
      • giving cheap computers for poor children
      • set up cyber cafes in rural areas
      • providing overseas aid to poor countries

  • effects of digital divide (effects to rural areas)

    • lower quality
      • health
      • education
      • access to resources
      • lifestyle
      • trade
      • opportunities
      • employment opportunities
    • reduced access to social media
    • lower access to information
    • unable to find accurate information easily
      • due to limited access to search engine
      • takes longer to complete tasks, so, wasting time
    • reduced health care
      • cannot get into waiting list to see doctor
      • not aware of intiment health risks that do not have access to national news service
    • reduced ability to work remotely
      • unable to have face-to-face communications
      • unable to have stable connection to VPN
      • cannot work remotely
    • impact on education
      • cannot access learning resources
        • lower quality education
      • unable to do wider researches
    • impact on purchasing
      • unable to compare prices of products as cannot access search engines
      • cannot check product availability in stores
    • impact of limited access to
      • online facilities
      • banking
      • communication
      • mental health
      • entertainment

  • reducing digital divide

    • improve access to broadband
    • provide infrastructure for rural areas
    • grovernments provides incentives to industry to build infrastructure
    • government investigates alternate methods of distribution
    • create cyber internet cafes
    • deliver access using satellite technology

  • global digital divide

    • contributes to the inequality

    • of access to goods and services

    • available through technology

  • no modern technology

    • fast broadband
      • without it, unable to use latest technologies
    • buying tech can be more expensive (to people from rural areas)
    • people with low education can find it hard to use/learn
    • same with old people
    • young people grow up with technology
    • price of internet connection might be might in underdeveloped countries
    • underdeveloped countries may have underperforming computers

  • in less industrially developed nations

    • cannot invest a lot of money on infrastructure
    • but doesnt always mean the nation doesnt have essential technologies
    • not all countries are able to keep up with constant changes
    • large inequality of internet speeds in all countries
    • some countries have low performance computers
    • some may have difficulty in obtaining technical assistance

  • no broadband connection

    • satellite broadband
      • more expensive than cabled broadband connections
      • tends be be slower
    • broadband connections
      • signal quality depends on number of towers
    • lack of understanding of benefits of it
    • back of skills + knowledge
    • affordability of
      • connection fees
      • devices that support broadband
    • broadband in rural areas is not as good as in cities
    • government programs to implement education
    • initiatives to develop e-government
    • extend faster broadband to rural areas

Unknown​

Long Distance Communications​

  • Video Conferencing
  • Instant Messaging
    • message send by sender
    • instantly recieved by recipient
    • disadvantages
      • no time to reflect on message being sent
        • like in email; email drafts
      • draft can be reviewed before sending
      • might have message length restrictions
  • VoIP
    • Voice over Internet Protocol
    • speaks with microphone connected to computer
    • which runs VOIP software
    • reciever must also have the VOIP software
    • disadvantages
      • can speak to the microphone, reciever will hear it in realtime
      • might be affected by bandwidth issues
  • Social Networking Sites
    • can post texts, images, videos
    • disadvantages
      • can later regret posting
      • privacy issues / risks
      • other people may interrupt your flow
  • blog/microblog
    • could use a website to write about his experiences
    • disadvantages
      • may not get immediate feedback
  • chat rooms
    • can meet in chat room and text
    • disadvntages
      • old people might not be skilled at typig fast
      • privacy lost if other people enters chat room