Global digital divide
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The global digital divide is a term used to describe “great disparities in opportunity to access the Internet and the information and educational/business opportunities tied to this access … between developed and developing countries” (Lu 2001 p. 1). Unlike the traditional notion of the "digital divide" between social classes, the "global digital divide" is essentially a geographical division.
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[edit] The Global Digital Divide versus the Digital Divide
The "global digital divide" is distinguishable from the "digital divide", a phenomenon wherein the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, at least with respect to technology, as the gap between the technological haves and have-nots widens. The concept of the digital divide was originally popularized with regard to the disparity in Internet access between rural and urban areas of the United States of America.
Unlike the case in many classical economic analyses of income disparity, there is no claim in this case that the developed nations' advances in information and communication technologies (ICT) have fed off the labor or resources of developing nations. Conversely, there is generally no claim that developing nations are faring absolutely worse because developed nations are doing better.
[edit] The geographical divide
It is clear that developed nations with the resources to invest in and develop ICT infrastructure are reaping enormous benefits from the information age, while developing nations are trailing along at a much slower pace. This difference in rates of technological progress is widening the economic disparity between the most developed nations of the world (primarily Canada, the United States, Japan, South Korea, Western Europe and Australasia) and the underdeveloped and developing ones (primarily Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia), thus creating a digital (that is, digitally fostered) divide. This global divide is often characterized as falling along what is sometimes called the north-south divide of "northern" wealthier nations and "southern" poorer ones.
[edit] The promise and potential of the Internet
The Internet has been hailed as a “great equalizer” (Brynjolfsson and Smith 2000), a revolutionary technological tool that enables efficient transfer of information on a global scale. This global information could be used for international trade, online digital libraries, online education, telemedicine, e-government and many other applications that would solve vital problems in the developing world.
The fundamental commonality of this class of problems is the realization that the developed nations have in abundance many of the resources that the developing ones could use to solve some of their problems, but geographical, political, philosophical, ideological, and cultural barriers exist that make it difficult or impossible for these solutions to be transferred effectively.
Other proposed solutions that the Internet promises for developing countries are the provision of efficient communications within and among developing countries, so that (global) citizens can effectively help each other to solve their own problems. Sources of widespread public information such as television broadcasting, telephone services, educational institutions and public libraries are taken for granted in developed countries. In developing countries, however, such infrastructure is seriously deficient, and this cripples citizens’ ability to gather information and coordinate with each other to solve their problems. Through its ability to promote the efficient dissemination of information, the Internet promises huge improvements to internal communications in and among developing countries.
[edit] Obstacles to overcoming the global digital divide
However, before all these promises can be realized, basic obstacles must be overcome. There is the initial problem of actually buying and deploying computers inside developing nations, as well as assorted networking and communications technologies. All these machines require parts, and may have to be regularly maintained by trained technicians. Though much cheaper than in the past, bandwidth must be paid for if peering agreements cannot be negotiated.
Users must be trained to use computers efficiently to find information on the Internet. If information is not in the users' native language, it must be translated or the users must be educated to basic proficiency in a language in which information is widely available, like English.
Computers, although preeminent to connectivity to (inter)networks, are only one element of the global digital divide. Access to handheld devices and portable technologies (i.e., cellphones), digital cameras and industrial technologies equally present obstacles to be overcome.
Needless to say, completing all of the above requires enormous investments of money, in countries where money is scarce and is often drained by corruption and inefficiency. The diffusion of innovation is another compelling challenge once the 'hardware' and 'software' are physically in place. Innovation diffusion is a well studied field that presents unique obstacles within different cultural contexts.
[edit] Concrete examples of the global digital divide
In the early 21st century, residents of First World countries enjoy many Internet services which are not yet widely available in Third World countries, including:
- Affordable and widespread Internet access, either through personal computers at home or work, through public terminals in public libraries and Internet cafes, and through wireless access points;
- E-commerce enabled by efficient electronic payment networks like credit cards and reliable shipping services;
- Virtual globes featuring street maps searchable down to individual street addresses and detailed satellite and aerial photography;
- Online research systems like LexisNexis and ProQuest which enable users to peruse newspaper and magazine articles that may be centuries old, without having to leave home;
- Price engines like Google Product Search which help consumers find the best possible online prices, and similar services like ShopLocal which find the best possible prices at local retailers;
- Electronic services delivery of government services, such as the ability to pay taxes, fees, and fines online.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Brynjolfsson, Erik and Michael D. Smith (2000). The great equalizer? Consumer choice behavior at Internet shopbots. Journal article, July 2000. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA.
- Lu, Ming-te (2001). Digital divide in developing countries. Journal of Global Information Technology Management (4:3), pp. 1-4.
