The Internet Isn’t As Accessible As It Seems
The Internet has become to be known as a very accessible tool that is used in nearly every sector of life. From entertainment to doing schoolwork to conducting business and so much more, we rely on the internet for expansive functions. However, deeper research shows that the internet is not nearly as accessible as it seems for many people. This is where the concept of digital equity ties into the digital divide. The digital divide has been around for a long time. As described by The SAGE Encyclopedia of Knowledge in 2015, the digital divide has expanded from those who had or did not have access to ICTs to include access to online technologies and the broadband infrastructure to support them. This has since been expanded to include the skills necessary to navigate online technologies. In easier terms, the digital divide is the gap between those who have access to the benefits of the internet and those that do not. This includes devices, internet connections, and skills to use them. Digital Equity is the desired state. The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society in 2016 defined digital equity as, “the insurance that all individuals and communities have the information technology capacity needed for full participation in our society, democracy, and economy”. Essentially, digital equity is the ultimate state in which all people have adequate access to digital technologies so that they are allowed to be a fully participating member of society. Remember how I mentioned earlier that nearly every aspect of our lives include the internet? The digital divide prevents people from achieving these everyday functions while digital equity ensures that all people are able to complete these essential functions.
Digital equity and the digital divide are clearly perfectly related; though they are opposites. If the digital divide stands, digital equity fails. If digital equity is achieved, the digital divide is no more. We desire the latter.
These concepts may seem a problem of the past, but they are more present than ever. The pandemic has highlighted this issue greater than ever.
The link above comes from a Forbes article that shows countless staggering statistics that hit home how important it is to end the digital divide. One such stat says that 53% of Americans feel the internet was essential to their lives while more than 40% of low-income households lacked this essential access (Wu, 2020). The point here is that we need to care about this issue. Our world is becoming increasingly digital and without proper access, people are suffering. Students are struggling or unable to complete their schoolwork. Remote workers are faced with no option to continue working. You could imagine all sorts of these realities when you think about how much of your life the internet touches. Now just think about how much difficult some mundane tasks would become if you couldn’t hop on your computer or smartphone to complete them. This is the reality for an immense number of people across the globe.
Let's dig into this deeper. Limited access to digital technology provides us with opportunities beyond convenience. Sure, we can easily imagine the social media or entertainment side of the internet. From watching Youtube videos to scrolling Twitter, we take joy out of internet access capabilities. But think about more complex responsibilities. The recent election showed a voter turnout that surpassed previous records. The Center for American Progress averaged that approximately 70% of these voters registered online (Root & Kennedy, 2018). This could have been even higher and included more minority and low-income voters if the digital divide wasn’t so prevalent. Having access to the internet allows us to not only effectively live our lives, but it also includes our ability to fully function in society. Internet usage is only going to expand in future decades. We learn so many essential digital literacy skills from using the internet. It teaches us how to navigate through tremendous amounts of information, how to ethically and respectfully engage with others, gives us access to reading and writing support, and so on.
This article explains that the digital divide is directly harming the development of young learners. Young learners who will one day be our nation's leaders and citizens. Without being able to complete their schoolwork, these kids may not make it to higher education. They may not learn the skills needed for their future career. One could go on and on imagining the ways in which the digital divide inhibits people’s success. Creating a world of digital equity needs to be at the top of our world’s list of things to accomplish. My hope lies in that this disastrous year has awakened enough people to this issue that a significant change will be taken.
