Digital divide Technology Essay Research Paper Coursework

Digital Divide
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Many societies around the world have been significantly impacted by the rapid technological enhancements that continue to characterize the 21st century. Affluent individuals in the community have had the benefit of using the latest technologies from the moment they are introduced in the market. Similarly, the less disadvantaged in society have to wait till these technologies are made available at cheaper prices or only use them at their places of work. These scenarios identified above have led to the concept of the digital divide. It entails to the distinct difference in the digital space between the haves and have-nots.
The phenomenon of the digital divide has been present since the beginning of the technological age in the late 20th century. Access to technology is not cheap and as such, it explains why the rich in society have managed to be at the forefront of using the latest trends in the field over the years. During the late 1990s, poor children and members of minority groups including Hispanics and African Americans had less access to computers not only in schools but also at home. Similarly, it is believed that during the same period, women were less exposed to information computer technologies compared to their male counterparts (Baase, 2013). Nonetheless, community organizations, government programs and business entities were instrumental in bridging the gap and to only foster the spread of computers but also internet access.
The digital divide has however gone on to take a new twist in relation to access to broadband connection. According to Baase (2013), “The same demographic groups that were the have-laters with respect to Internet access in the 1990s had less broadband access in the first decade of the 2000s, with similar disadvantages”. With technology, it is highly essential that individuals have access to broadband connection because it helps to access online information and employment opportunities. The primary impediments to access to broadband connection are cost and digital literacy. ...