BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE

By Ednah Ombaso

With new media taking root in our society today, technology has changed the way we do our business, pursue education and interact with everyone from our families and our surroundings. It is hard to imagine life without computers.

People with higher income are able to access technology whereas people who are on lower incomes are not able to as they cannot afford the technology that is left behind in terms of digital supremacy. This has constituted the rise of digital divide.

Digital divide is an economic and social inequality according to categories of persons in a given population in their access to use or knowledge of information and communication technologies. It is used to describe a gap between those who have already access to information and communication technology and the skills to make use of those technologies.

A theoretical distinction exists between the first level and the second level digital divide. The first level deals with problems of computers and access to the Internet while the second level focuses on the user profiles of new technologies.Many people have been continually isolated from our digital society because they lack access to the internet and the skills to use it effectively. The divide can be characterized as poor, less, educated and older.

 

However, the issue of the digital divide cannot be ignored. In our society, wealth is already unbalanced, just like the access to computers and the internet is unbalancing. Digital divide impacts some of our most vulnerable populations making it necessary for us to find solutions.

In order to shrink the already large digital gap in society, a number of things ought to be put into consideration. There is need to discover low cost offers and configure out which ones work best for the people being served. It is evident that many people miss out on opportunities to benefit from technologies by accessing information, learning valuable computer skills and communicating to others. Therefore, by so doing, it will be easier to plan and devise the best possible ways of eliminating the gap between them. 

Although access to technology is ever increasing, public computers in libraries and schools are not enough. We need to work with leaders of a variety of organizations from governments to non-profits, to work on getting computers in homes and developing service plans that families can afford.  Many NGOs, government agencies and communication organizations are already working towards closing the digital divide by offering internet access, computer training and low cost refurbished devices. Supporting these organizations by utilizing their services, spreading the word about their programs and collaborating with them on projects that align with their mission will help in bridging the gap.

Mapping communication assets is also vital. Understanding your communication resources ,for example how many people lack the internet, where to learn the skills, WiFi hotspots etc can help lay aground of tackling the issue. This will allow you to identify your communication needs and develop programs to target underserved populations.

Understanding individual content, gender and educational levels of the society is helpful in designing appropriate policies to constitute a plan of action. That is, providing high speed internet, computers and training to all unconnected residents. Policy emphasis ought to focus on skills and usage access besides infrastructure.