THE IMPORTANCE OF BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE
DIGITAL DIVIDE
Friday, October 14, 2016
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
Using Early Childhood Education to Bridge the Digital Divide
Technology
literacy plays an important role in a child's ability to succeed in school and
later life. Yet, despite rapid growth in society's use of digital technology,
many children in low-income families in the United States are not able to
access and use technology in the same ways as their more-advantaged peers. This
means they have fewer opportunities to learn, explore, and communicate
digitally, and fewer chances to develop the workforce skills they will need to
succeed in later life. Early childhood education can play a valuable role in
ensuring that low-income children can access technology and learn how to use
it. However, there are a number of important issues that need to be addressed.
This Perspective frames a discussion on these subjects by exploring the role of
early childhood education in bridging the digital divide. We highlight five key
questions that need to be considered in the discussion of integrating
technology into early childhood education.
Key Findings
Early Childhood Education
Prepares Children for School and Provides an Opportunity to Address Disparities
Children who participate in
early childhood education achieve better education and life outcomes, with the
strongest impacts for children from low-income families.
Early childhood is an
important time to build foundational skills in traditional academic areas, and
may play a similar role for technology literacy.
Technology Literacy Opens
the Door to Many of Life's Opportunities
Those who use technology in
the workplace earn 14–27 percent more than those who do not, and projections
indicate that much of the country's future job growth will be concentrated in
areas that require use of information and communications technology on the job.
Studies have shown that ICT
can build motor skills, socio-emotional skills, and cognitive skills, helping
to reduce skill gaps in important foundational areas for disadvantaged young
children.
However, there is debate
over the impact of technology on young children, and many continue to feel that
the role of technology should remain limited.
Supports Are Needed to
Realize the Benefits of Technology in ECE
High-quality Internet
connectivity, developmentally appropriate software, and smart and portable
devices are helpful in supporting educational technology efforts, as well as
family support.
Even if the most up-to-date
software-device-connection combination is present, it may not be usable if
there is no one to guide the child. The real value is derived from the presence
of a high-quality knowledge facilitator.
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
Bridging Digital Divide Between Industrialized and Developing Countries: Stressed in Committee on Information Debate
STRESSED IN COMMITTEE ON INFORMATION DEBATE
Bridging the digital divide between the industrialized
and developing countries was the key point underscored by many speakers, as the
Committee on Information continued its general debate this morning.
Nigeria’s representative said that while information
technology had contributed to the economy of a few countries in the South, the
reality was that many countries had not benefited and that the gap between
developed and developing was widening. There was an urgent need to
integrate developing nations into the new information and communication
order. He therefore called on developed countries to increase assistance
for communications infrastructure in developing countries, as well as for the
support infrastructure.
Lending support to Nigeria’s call, Algeria’s
representative stated that reversing the continuing gap between the two
hemispheres would also require large-scale international cooperation.
Cuba’s representative said there was a lack of political
will in industrialized countries to reverse negative trends. Instead, a
frenzied race had been unleashed to patent not only technologies, but also the
ideas that supported the new economies, creating further barriers to third
world countries that needed those technologies. Intellectual property
rights excluded developing countries from knowledge. In addition, private
research was focused on the whims of rich consumers and not on the needs of the
large groups of dispossessed.
Mongolia’s representative strongly advocated a new and
more just information and communication order that was based on a free and
balanced flow of information to the world’s people. The United Nations
system should play a proactive role in that regard by creating an indispensable
environment for universal access to information and communication technologies
for all nations.
The representative of the Netherlands (on behalf of the
Western European and Other States Group) said that in a changing environment of
new technologies and opportunities, the United Nations would have to try and
bring its message to as many people as it possibly could. That was a
daunting task and underscored the need for further and continued reform and
improvement in the way in the Organization disseminated information.
Reform was more than simply reducing costs and improving
efficiency, he went on to say. The overall objective should be to enhance
the effectiveness of UnitedNations information activities. It was also
necessary to move further away from the approach of trying to do it all and to
develop new strategies and approaches.
The observer for Palestine, speaking on behalf of the
Arab League, stressed that all the official United Nations languages must be
used and used effectively. Moreover, he underscored that Arabic must have
parity with the other languages. He called for increased television and
radio broadcasting in Arabic and for the library to make more Arabic material
available.
Also this morning, Milos Alcalay (Venezuela), Chairman of
the Committee, informed members that Antigua and Barbuda would participate in
the session as an observer. The delegation of the observer for Palestine
would also participate in the session as an observer and address the Committee
in its capacity as Chairman of the Arab group.
The representatives of Syria, Republic of Korea, Russian
Federation, Egypt, and Yemen also made statements in this morning’s general
debate.
The representatives of the United States and Cuba also
spoke in exercise of the right of reply.
The Committee on Information met this morning to continue
its general debate. (For background information on the twenty-third session of
the Committee, which began yesterday, see Press Release PI/1336 dated 27
April.)
Statements
MILOS ALCALAY (Venezuela), Chairman of the Committee,
proposed that the Committee hold its general debate during meetings today and
tomorrow. On Thursday morning, the Secretary-General was expected to
address the Committee in honour of World Press Freedom Day, and that afternoon
the Committee would hear a statement by the Interim Head of the Department of
Public Information (DPI). He hoped that the open-ended working group
could start its work on Friday. In that regard, he asked for texts before
the weekend, if possible, allowing time for translation.
MOHAMED BELAOURA (Algeria) said the Department of the
Public Information occupied a central place in organizing and disseminating the
messages of the United Nations. That role was all the more essential
since mobilization of public opinion was one of the priorities of the
Department. He called upon it to redouble its efforts to ensure the
widest possible dissemination about United Nations actions in the field of
decolonization in order to help people in the Non-Self-Governing Territories to
exercise their right to self-determination.
He welcomed the fact that the United Nations Web site had
been developed so much and was now well known. Progress by the news
centre on the Web site provided much satisfaction and hope. He also hoped that
the six official languages of the Organization would receive equal treatment
and development on the Web site. In addition, he called for the Arabic
service in the library to be strengthened so that that the many users of that
language could have access to pertinent information.
He said the United Nations could and must play a primary
role in the pursuit of freedom, development cooperation and bringing
communication in the South up to the levels of the North. Many countries
in the developing world, particularly in Africa, were decades behind in the new
information order. The continuing gap between the two hemispheres must be
redressed. Only large-scale international cooperation could reverse that
trend, he added.
CHARLES ONONYE (Nigeria) said that the establishment of a
new and effective world information and communication order was important to
his country. That was why Nigeria had joined with other nations during
the Millennium Summit to underscore the importance of an effective information
and communication order as a vital tool in the process of globalization and
liberalization of the world economy. In Africa, access to information
could stimulate change and create improved environments that would respond to
the specific needs of the people. Teachers used information and computer
technology to obtain material to convey up-to-date information to their
students. For a continent seriously affected by poverty, the acquisition
of appropriate information and communications technology could play a decisive
role in developing the capacity for food security. Unfortunately, the
absence of relevant infrastructure was a major hindrance to harnessing the
benefits of modern information technology in Africa.
Information and communications technology provided an
essential tool for building durable democratic institutions, particularly in
new and emerging democracies, he said. That position was based on the
assumption that all of the population had access to information technology.
It had been argued that information technology would promote economic
development in developing countries. While it had contributed to the
economy of a few countries in the South, the reality was that many countries
had not benefited. The gap in information technology between developed
and developing countries continued to widen. There was urgent need to
focus on how to integrate the developing nations into the new information and
communication order. Nigeria called on the developed countries to increase
their assistance for the development of the communications infrastructure in
developing countries, as well as the support infrastructures.
Nigeria applauded DPI for continuing to provide high
quality service that all could be proud of, he continued. The performance
of the Department during the Millennium Summit was exemplary. The Web
site –- equipped with live and multimedia access –- provided an invaluable
asset to all delegations and to the media around the world. Nigeria
attached great importance to the accessibility of the Web site to users,
especially in developing countries and welcomed measures to ensure broad-based
global support for the Organization through the activities of DPI.
While Nigeria supported the United Nations efforts in
facilitating the availability and utilization of information technology in
developing countries, it urged the Department to continue to re-evaluate its
activities, prioritizing its goals in a manner that was consistent with the
Millennium Declaration, he said. Greater emphasis should be given to
areas such as economic and social development, poverty eradication, debt
relief, elimination of illiteracy, eradication of drug trafficking, women’s
rights and children in armed conflict. He welcomed the Department’s
involvement in the implementation plan for the Brahimi Panel Report on United
Nations Peace Operations. Provision of an adequate information
infrastructure in any peace operation was crucial to the success of the mission
and the safety of peacekeepers and other international personnel involved.
As the cheapest and most accessible communications
technology, radio remained critical to developed countries as the traditional
means of dissemination of information, he added. Nigeria supported the
efforts of the Secretariat to promote global outreach through broadcasting
arrangements with partner radio stations in most regions of the world, making
it possible to disseminate information in an impartial manner all over the
world in the United Nations official languages and others. Nigeria
welcomed remarks made yesterday about the radio pilot project. Subject to
availability of funds, Nigeria suggested that radio listening posts be
established in educational institutions in sub-Saharan Africa.
Nigeria welcomed the proposals contained in the report on
the integration of United Nations information centres with field offices of the
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), he said. The integration
should focus on the development of human and technical resources, which was vital
for the improvement of information and communications systems in developing
countries. He also supported the training programmes for journalists and
broadcasters from developing countries, especially in Africa. Nigeria
supported the proposals made by the Committee to strengthen DPI to enable it to
meet its increased responsibilities and, hopefully, create conditions to
facilitate the integration of developing countries into the global information
and communication technology revolution.
JARGALSAIKHANY ENKHSAIKHAN (Mongolia) said he wished to
underline the urgent need to bridge the existing gap between the developed and
developing countries in the field of public information and
communication. His delegation therefore strongly advocated a new and more
just order that was based on a free and balanced flow of information to the
world’s people. The United Nations system should play a proactive role in
that regard by creating an indispensable environment for universal access to
information and communication technologies for all nations.
He stressed the importance of objective information in
the regions fraught with tension where the Organization’s peacekeeping missions
operated. The raising of public awareness about such missions was crucial
for the successful fulfilment of mandates. His delegation also believed
that the United Nations information system could play an important role in the
field of sustainable development by focusing on crucial socio-economic and
environmental issues.
He said that to further enhance the plans designed by the
Secretary-General, the Organization, and especially the communication capacity
of the Department of Public Information, had to be strengthened by introducing
state-of-the-art technology and allocating necessary resources in line with
existing needs.
RAFAEL DAUSA CESPEDES (Cuba) said that today, more than
ever before, scientific and technological developments, particularly in the
area of information and communications, influenced all spheres of human
life. Nevertheless, at the beginning of the new millennium, the gap
between rich and poor nations continued to grow. While humanity had more
and better instruments to combat poverty, poverty was growing around the
world.
The process of globalization was greatly based on
technological and scientific developments in the area of information and
communications, he said. The development of information and
communications came with a bitter contradiction. The more progress was
made, the broader the technological gap between developed and developing countries.
While some countries talked about accelerating the development of the Internet
and the most sophisticated means of communications, others faced very high
levels of illiteracy and poverty. Some 97 per cent of Internet
servers were located in developed countries.
In a globalized world, the technological gap between the
North and the South became wider under conditions of growing privatization of
scientific research, he said. The new world economy based on knowledge
was turning information into a good, which was as valuable or even more
valuable than traditional goods. In the developed countries, a frenzied
race had been unleashed to patent not only technologies, but also the ideas
that supported the new economies, creating further barriers to third world
countries that needed those technologies. Intellectual property rights
excluded developing countries from knowledge. Private research was
focused on the whims of rich consumers and not on the needs of the large groups
of dispossessed. The lack of political will of industrialized countries
to reverse negative trends caused him to reiterate the conviction that a new
international information and communication order was needed today more than
ever before.
Cuba believed that aspects contained in draft resolution
A, which were traditionally approved by the Committee, were today more
important than ever and could not be replaced with a discussion on the digital
divide, which Cuba would not oppose since it was a major topic. He said
the international community must make great effort if it wanted to move from
word to action and action, allowing developing countries to become active
counterparts in the development of resources.
The United Nations information centres must play an
important role, particularly in developing countries, as key elements for
disseminating information on the Organization, he added. Cuba reiterated
its concern for difficulties in the integration process of the information
centres with UNDP field offices. Special attention must be paid to the
achievement of proper financing for the different information centres, in
particular those based on developing countries. Cuba commended the
efforts made by the United Nations and DPI, specifically in developing the
United Nations Web site and the efforts to take the Internet to all developing
countries. Nevertheless, that must be done without affecting the capacity
and scope of the United Nations radio and television programmes, which were
pivotal for developing countries.
The need to work to develop and improve the Web site in
all United Nations official languages must not be overlooked, he said. He
joined with Spanish-speaking counties to give Spanish the treatment it deserved
as an official United Nations language, both on the Web site and in the rest of
the Department’s work. Cuba was not satisfied with the attempt to
continue reducing the already decreased structures of DPI, based on
recommendations made in the Brahimi report, which had not taken into account
all realities.
He said that over 1,600 hours per week of radio and
television programmes were broadcast to Cuba from the United States on over 26
frequencies. Those radio and television transmissions were flagrant
violations of international law and regulations provided by the International
Frequency Registration Board of the International Telecommunications
Union. Despite the fact that the United Nations had adopted different
resolutions to prevent misuse or exploitation of information resources for
criminal or terrorist purposes, the United States continued to run, finance and
facilitate illegal transmissions against Cuba, some of which were terrorist and
distortive of the existing reality in his country. The United States had
done everything in its electronic war against Cuba, including improving power,
antennas and changing VHF transmission to UHF. Cuba reiterated its
condemnation against that aggression and rejected attempts of the United States
to keep illegal radio and television transmissions against Cuba and to decide
on the kind of information Cubans must receive.
PETER MOLLEMA (Netherlands) spoke on behalf of the
Western European and Other States Group. He said that while the
technological changes that were reshaping the way information was distributed
had to be taken into consideration, the traditional tasks of the Department of
Public Information –- media such as radio, which reached millions of the
world’s listeners -- must not be forgotten.
“We have to determine what we think are the core
activities of the Department of Public Information”, he said. “We need to
formulate policies to strengthen the Department’s effectiveness and efficiency
in order for it to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century.” Such
policies must also ensure that the Organization reached out to disseminators of
information, especially the media and non-governmental organizations (NGOs),
utilizing the latest technologies. “We need a Department of Public
Information that realizes the slogan: Global Vision, Local Voice”, he said.
He said that in a changing environment of new
technologies and opportunities, the United Nations would have to try and bring
its important message to as many people as it possibly could. That was a
daunting task and underscored the need for further and continued reform and
improvement in the way the Organization disseminated information. Reform
was more than simply reducing costs and improving efficiency. The overall
objective should be to enhance the effectiveness of United Nations information
activities. It was also necessary to move further away from the approach
of trying to do it all and to develop new strategies and approaches.
LOUAY FALLOUH (Syria) said he attached great importance
to setting up a new information order, which was more just and reflective of
United Nations principles, international law and the wishes of all
people. All wanted a world of mutual respect. There was a need to
bridge the digital divide between the developing and developed countries, to
bring forth the voice of the United Nations and to reflect the real situation
of developing countries without presenting a distorted view of their
aspirations.
Syria had made great progress in the area of audio-visual
information and in its written press, he said. Information and
development went hand in hand. Syria’s media contributed to informing
public opinion regarding events of a regional or international order, stressing
matters of interest to developing countries. The transmission of
information had seen great progress through the use of the Internet.
Syria also disseminated information via satellite to inform the rest of the
world about challenges facing the Arab world in an objective and sincere
manner.
The United Nations and its Member States were responsible
for disseminating the voice of the Organization and making its aims and
activities known in both developed and developing worlds, he said. Syria
expected the Organization to provide coverage of the positions of the majority
of its members. It was essential to cover resistance to foreign
occupation, thereby ensuring the mobilization of the international community to
fight foreign occupation. It was also essential to strengthen efforts to
bring about global peace, in particular in the Middle East, and to promote
various forms of development -- cultural and social. DPI must enrich the
work of the United Nations in the area of information and must work with
greater force.
It was important to use the six official languages of the
United Nations and to place them on an equal footing, he said. He agreed
with the Secretary-General on the importance of equality in the languages of
the United Nations and also on the point that its resources not be
wasted. Regarding the development of the United Nations Web site, Syria
felt that all financial resources must be applied to ensure full equality
between the six languages on the Web site. Necessary resources must be
allocated to do that, and he hoped that when the Secretary-General presented
his initial proposal for the 2002-2003 programme budget, that it would contain
all necessary appropriations to ensure complete parity among all language sites
and not widen the gap caused by the digital divide.
He said there was still a great divide in the way in
which written documents appeared. He stressed the importance of all
documents being issued in all the official languages of the Organization.
It was also important to continue training courses given to developing
countries to improve their Internet skills. The Secretariat had not
adopted specific measures to ensure that press releases were printed in the six
official languages. Syria expressed its wish to work together to step up
the work being done and to improve the information situation in the United
Nations.
KIM YOUNG-MOK (Republic of Korea) said that since the
primary mission of the Department of Public Information was to provide reliable
and accessible information about the United Nations, it was necessary to
develop an overall communication strategy to analyse demand features of
worldwide target audiences and to tailor the Department’s efforts to meet the
demand. As part of that communication strategy, the Department should
further develop the United Nations Web site and upgrade the library system in
order to improve efficiency and eliminate overlapping activities. That
process should include the establishment of one central Internet portal and one
central system-wide online catalogue to facilitate the retrieval of United
Nations materials.
His delegation supported the Department’s efforts to
increase both public awareness and support for United Nations activities.
Since intensive and comprehensive work on improving the Organization’s
peacekeeping had been under way in both the Security Council and the
Secretariat, he stressed the importance of involving the Department from the
planning stage of a peacekeeping operation through interdepartmental
consultations and coordination with other substantive departments of the
Secretariat. He also called on the Department to assist in the
implementation of recommendations contained in the Brahimi report.
BORIS MALAKHOV (Russian Federation) said that while the
rapid introduction of modern information technology in all fields of life
opened up opportunities for economic growth, its negative consequences must
also be kept in mind. The adoption of General Assembly resolutions on
information security was an important step in the information field. An
independent press, television and radio broadcasting played an important role
in a democratic society. The media must become an instrument that
contributed to the prevention of crises. The free media must play a most
important role in the eradication of racism. He proposed the inclusion in
part B of the General Assembly resolution of a paragraph that called upon
States, the media and non-governmental organization to prevent use of the media
and new information technologies which would undermine democracy, fan ethnic
strife and contribute to any manifestations of extremism.
Information was an important means for molding public
opinion, he said. He noted the concrete steps taken by DPI to reorient
its activities in the information field. The United Nations rightly
attached importance to the development of new information technology. At
same time, he was not convinced that it was wise to stress the creation within
the United Nations system of a fully fledged news agency which would work on
the same principle as world information services. For DPI to compete
would be difficult and complex.
It was, however, sensible to focus on the preparation of
materials to enhance the interest of media in United Nations activities and to
provide professional comments to media. The United Nations could and must
be a source of the most up-to-date information for the media, in cases where
the United Nations was involved in a crisis area or had infrastructures that
journalists might lack.
The launching of an updated central United Nations Web
site in line with equality of all languages improved communication about United
Nations activities, he said. However, the principle of parity in all
languages, supported overwhelming by the majority of Member States -- was
taking shape far too slowly. While the main page was visually identical,
a gap still existed and continued to grow in the volume of information, mainly
because of limited resources. He supported carrying out a technical and
economic survey to determine the requirements in staffing, technologies and
material content to obtain parity in six languages. Strengthening the
technical basis of Web sites was necessary, as was the need to equip them with
modern search systems in all official languages.
Russia stressed the significance of daily 15-minute radio
broadcasts for vast Russian audiences, he added. For further success, the
proportionate number of staff and technical provisions in all six language
sections in the radio service was necessary. That could be done in an
inexpensive way, namely through the fair reallocation of existing
resources. Russia supported the need for a balanced approach to providing
resources to information centres. Where necessary, a programme to merge
information centres with UNDP must be carried out, taking into account the
views of host countries. However, the analysis by DPI of seven out of 14
questionnaires did not provide a full assessment of the situation. Russia
noted the active participation of DPI in promoting the fifteenth anniversary of
the Chernobyl accident. It was also grateful for measures to promote
dialogue among civilizations. DPI’s work in that area would help achieve
the objective of peaceful coexistence. DPI faced complex tasks.
Russia was ready to cooperate in the attainment of acceptable solutions.
HOSSAM ZAKI (Egypt) said his delegation had studied the
Secretary-General’s report on the equal distribution of resources for United
Nations information centres. He hoped those centres would continue their
important role and keep pace with political, social, economic and environmental
developments in the Organization. He also hoped the Department of Public
Information would continue to review the level of resources devoted to those
centres to reach the optimum levels needed for them to function
efficiently. In addition, the Department should bear in mind the special
needs of the African continent -- especially in light of the Millennium
Declaration.
He said his delegation was looking forward to the
Secretariat submitting realistic proposals on achieving linguistic parity on
the United Nations Web site. He hoped that it would double its efforts to
prepare and submit such proposals, since time wasting would only lead to
further increasing the gap between what was available on the Web site in
English and what was available in other languages, namely Arabic. His
delegation had always made a point of drawing attention to the activities of
the Department in relation to the question of Palestine. He also
expressed appreciation to the Department for organizing the annual training
programme for Palestinian journalists.
ALI AHMED MOHAMED AL-DAILMI (Yemen) said that Yemen had
chosen the path of democratic expression and was convinced of the importance of
communication. There were great disparities between developed and
developing States regarding information technology. The international
community must help developing countries acquire the technology to bridge the
digital divide. Information had become a way to realize political
freedoms. Better information technology would enable better coverage of
events.
The Department had played an important role in peace and
security, economic and social development and in the promotion of human rights,
he said. The Internet was a driving force in that action. He
congratulated DPI for the broad dissemination of information and expressed
support for the United Nations information centres. He subscribed to the
Committee’s strategy to bring about a fair distribution of information,
covering all countries of the world. Yemen was concerned at the weak
status of the Arabic language, despite the consistent appeals of the
Assembly. The use of the Arabic language should be promoted, particularly
regarding interpretation and translation at United Nations conferences, and in
publications and television broadcasts.
MARWAN JILANI, observer for Palestine, speaking on behalf
of the Arab League, said he wished to reaffirm the importance of information
and the actions of the Department of Public Information in making the
principles of the United Nations Charter known. Among those principles
were the maintenance of peace, the struggle against poverty and violence,
denouncing oppression and assisting people in the fight for
self-determination. For such efforts to be successful, the United Nations
must be strengthened, particularly in the way it provided information. In
that respect, the Organization’s information centres must have all the possible
means available to them.
He said that Arabic must have parity with the other
languages and called for increased television and radio broadcasting in Arabic
and for the library to make more Arabic material available. It was also
highly important to strengthen the information coverage on the question of
Palestine and the suffering of the Palestinian people. He believed that
the Department of Public Information must reflect the cultural diversity of
countries –- a diversity which would increase the heritage of peace and
understanding.
Right of Reply
DAVID A. TRAYSTMAN (United States), speaking in right of
reply, said that the Cuban delegation should work in a more constructive manner.
Time could be better spent by discussing the enhancement of the Department’s
role. Energy should be focused, for example, on strengthening the
information capacity of peacekeeping operations and enhancing the safety and
security of staff.
RAFAEL DAUSA CESPEDES (Cuba) said that his statement had
referred to those subjects. His delegation had always been prepared to
discuss the problems of DPI. Unfortunately, Cuba had no other alternative
but to deal with the United States media aggression in part of its
statement. While it might be better to devote time to other matters, it
would also be better if the $22 million that the United States spent on that
media aggression be used for United Nations projects. It was throwing
that money out the window because Cuba’s technicians had been blocking the
illegal transmissions for years. The United States had no right to decide
on the information that Cubans received. Cuba would continue to work
constructively, but insisted on right to denounce that kind of activity.
Actions That We Need to take in Bridging Digital Divide!
Every day we
wake up in the morning and take a glance at our smartphone devices to monitor
social feeds and happenings around the globe. Throughout the day we will
interact with connected devices such as computers, tablets, and wearable
technologies that will ultimately make us more knowledgeable than the day
before. Essentially, access to these technologies is invaluable as it makes us
open-minded, more social and a more knowledgeable individual to the world we
live in. With that said, we have transitioned into a digital society that takes
connected devices for granted and we have become oblivious to those who do not
have access to this kind of tech.
Although we are living in a more connected world, the
digital divide is a disturbing trend that is shaping our generation today. The
term refers to the gap between demographics and regions that have access to
modern information and communications technology, and those that don’t. Granted,
the world is seeing a rapid diffusion of connectivity around the world, but one
must acknowledge the spread is unequal at best. Economic development,
technological advancement and even social progress are dependent on
digitization. Therefore access to ICT has become a necessity and it is
imperative that all are granted such access.
Inequalities within ICT are often referred to the
“information underclass”. With that said, there are numerous variables acting
as a catalyst for the digital divide. The lack of income generation remains a
primary reason as basic ICT access requires an investment of US$10 a month for
a family household. This means being a “connected” individual is impossible for
nearly 40% of the global population as they earn less than US$2 a day.
According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation
and Development (OECD), variables such as household size , age, gender, racial,
ethnic backgrounds and geographical location also contribute to the digital
divide. Additionally, a lower level of education directly correlates with the
lack of access to modern ICT and in part, a lower chance of success. The
technological growth of first world countries is further widening the divide as
third world countries are falling behind in the technological spectrum.
Even Bill Clinton publicly condemned the digital divide
as far back in 1998 at the Massachusetts Institute Of Technology.
Clinton said:
“We know from hard experience that unequal education
hardens into unequal prospects. We know the Information Age will accelerate
this trend. The three fastest growing careers in America are all in computer
related fields, offering far more than average pay. Happily, the digital divide
has begun to narrow, but it will not disappear of its own accord. History
teaches us that even as new technologies create growth and new opportunity,
they can heighten economic inequalities and sharpen social divisions. That is,
after all, exactly what happened with the mechanization of agriculture and in
the Industrial Revolution.
As we move into the Information Age we have it within our
power to avoid these developments. We can reap the growth that comes from
revolutionary technologies and use them to eliminate, not to widen, the
disparities that exist. But until every child has a computer in the classroom
and a teacher well-trained to help, until every student has the skills to tap
the enormous resources of the Internet, until every high-tech company can find
skilled workers to fill its high-wage jobs, America will miss the full promise
of the Information Age.”
So the question is, how does society overcome the digital
divide? The way forward starts with policy reform where governments recognize
the social and economic benefits of the diffusion of ICTs. We need to see a
more “connected” individual, through low cost technologies and increased
investment in telecommunication markets all over the world. There needs to be a
renewed focus on telecom infrastructure enhancements in rural, low-income and
underprivileged areas. With that said, residential areas are enjoying the
spoils of affordable fixed line services whereas the poor access the internet
using mobile devices where internet costs the most.
The project iSizwe initiative has certainly honed in on
this issue and has begun rolling out free wi-fi in public spaces and low income
areas. Education remains a long term imperative for the greater spread of ICT
access. The benefits of ICT need to be understood by the youth so they can
greater leverage a technological skillset later on in life. Such endeavors need
to start at a
grassroots level where ICT technologies and access must be rolled out in schools and tertiary institutions that will have a ripple effect in the future.
grassroots level where ICT technologies and access must be rolled out in schools and tertiary institutions that will have a ripple effect in the future.
Low cost smartphones such as the Vodacom Smart Kicka are
emerging to bridge the gap between the digital divide.
Truth is, the divide is widening and will continue to do
so if remain unchecked. There are initiatives in place to bridge the gap, but
in isolation is effectiveness is limited at best.
However, a cumulative effort that is fueled by policy
reform can ensure ICT access is affordable and accessible to all. We need to
see such initiatives such as Googles Project Loon rolling out on an
international level that promises internet access for all, and essentially
making the world a more connected place.
Five Lessons in Bridging the Digital Divide
Three years ago, Knight Foundation set out to find ways
to bridge the digital divide in Detroit, a formidable task in a city where less
than 40 percent of households have broadband access.
We approached the challenge by focusing on three, high
poverty neighborhoods, and set out to fund a broadband network there in
addition to digital literacy training.
What we discovered with this project could provide
lessons on what works and what doesn’t for communities trying to digitally
connect the 100 million Americans without home broadband access.
The insights are part of our new report on digital
access in Detroit. Written by journalist Fara Warner, it details the
significant difficulties faced in installing a Wi-Fi network: one company
considered building towers for free, but pulled out; another donated several
towers but the signal didn’t, in the end, cover the entire area.
Nonprofits and civic leaders seeking to close the digital
divide in their communities should instead consider these major insights
outlined in Warner’s report:
1) Focus on Digital Literacy: If
the report has one big conclusion it’s this: training on how to use the
Internet is critical to closing the digital gap. Of the efforts on the ground,
the digital literary courses held at local public libraries were the most
effective elements in encouraging broadband adoption. In fact, after graduating
from the courses, a majority of the participants chose to purchase Internet
access immediately on the open market, instead of waiting for the free network.
Through the training, many came to realize how integral the Internet had become
to everyday tasks like paying bills, applying for jobs, searching for medical
information and helping with kids’ homework, Warner writes.
2) Provide computers: While digital
literacy was key, free or low-cost computers removed another significant
barrier in Detroit. (We were able to provide 1,700 through a donation from Blue
Cross/Blue Shield.) In this case, the computers offered a good incentive for
taking a digital literacy course, and maintaining skills. The participants’
children and extended family also benefitted. Participant Stephen Pitts, for example, an art teacher
who suffered a head injury in a car accident, used his free laptop to brush up
his painting skills through online training videos.
3) Remove other financial barriers: As
Warner writes, Internet providers often require security deposits and a credit
check before handing out equipment like routers and modems – making it harder
for low-income Americans get service. Nonprofits should focus on finding a way
to pay for those upfront costs.
4) Low rates are still needed: The
average rate for monthly Internet access in Detroit is $30, still prohibitive
for many in the city.
5) Partner for success: A range of
partnerships between local community organizations, private companies,
libraries and government were essential to this project’s achievements, and
included a federal stimulus grant that brought in additional funding, and the
donated, refurbished laptops.
The release is particularly timely as the FCC starts to
work out the deployment of the Knight-supported Connect to Compete broadband
adoption program in cities across the country. The report shows that Connect to
Compete’s work has the potential to bring more Americans online and into the
global $8 trillion Web-enabled economy.
We hope other communities – particularly those signing on
with the FCC to work on Connect to Compete – will read and learn from Detroit’s
story.
Patel is
Knight Foundation’s vice president for strategic assessment
Martinez,
Knight’s director for IT, leads the foundation’s Universal
Access Initiative
Reporter Analysis Series:
Connect Detroit is part of Knight
Foundation’s reporter analysis series, where the foundation commissions
independent journalists to write occasional articles reviewing its grant making
and program strategies. Veteran reporters examine grant documents, conduct
interviews and offer their perspective on the lessons learned and impact of
Knight-supported projects in stories published online and in print.
Learning to Bridge Digital Divide
Computers alone are not
enough to join the e-economy. Digital literacy is essential too.
It has become increasingly clear over the past two years
that offering the whole world a phone and a computer screen will not in itself
help bridge the “digital divide” opening up across the world. The technology is
practically worthless unless people are equipped with the know-how, and the
willingness, to use it. Those who cannot use it confidently, whether whole
countries, groups or individuals, will become increasingly marginalised within
the modern world.
The case of Mexico’s Telesecundaria programme, which has
been adopted by several South American countries, shows how solutions depend as
much on human expertise as on state-of-the-art technology. Thanks to
Telesecundaria, computers in the classroom have transformed life for thousands
of secondary school students in rural Mexico, bringing a full educational
programme into the smallest village via a television screen or webcast. In
every case, the Mexico model has worked largely thanks to the combination of
well-qualified tutors at the transmitting end of the system, and local
“persuaders” in the rural areas to win the students over to this novel
educational method.
It remains true that the basic factor which leads to a
digital divide is lack of access to computers and Internet. This is most acute
in the less developed regions of the world. While technological advances may
have enabled some developing countries, notably in Africa, to leapfrog straight
from little or no phone service to mobile phones and the Internet, the gap
between the industrial and the developing world remains enormous. Almost a
third of people in industrial countries had access to a computer in 1998
compared with barely 3% in the developing world, the World Bank found in its
World Development Report 2000/2001.
Evidently, many have little or no awareness of
information and communication technology (ICT). In 1997, more than 30 African
countries had less than one telephone line per 100 people, according to OECD
figures. It is not simply that the “haves” are at an advantage, but that the
“have-nots” are at increasing risk of social and economic exclusion. Countries
which lack a firm ICT infrastructure become marginalised as electronic commerce
grows in importance. They are incapable of sharing in the new route to
prosperity which e-commerce affords, and remain dependent on the export of
basic commodities, for which the world price is often in decline. Africa’s
share of world trade has fallen from about 4% in 1980 to less than 2% today,
according to IMF figures.
“It is necessary but not sufficient to provide avenues to
information and knowledge. What is more important is to empower people with
appropriate educational, cognitive and behavioural skills and tools,” says
Wadi D. Haddad of the Global Infrastructure Commission, in Learning to Bridge
the Digital Divide (see references).
The international community is well aware of the problem
for developing countries, but it does not stop there. Industrial countries are
also struggling with a widening gap between groups at different educational and
income levels, raising fears that entire sectors of society may be excluded
because of their inability to use, or afford, ICT.
The problems are illustrated by the ratio of students per
computer in upper secondary education in OECD countries. Significant
differences are already evident between these industrial countries and they are
likely to be maintained. While Portugal, with one computer for 35 students, is
improving its student-computer ratio, at the other end of the scale Norway,
which already has one computer per five students, may be upgrading the quality
of its equipment. And even if schools have the computers, they need fully
trained teachers to make use of them. But such training is not keeping pace
with demand in the industrial world. The neglect of teacher ICT training, which
tends to lag behind physical investment, is a major obstacle. Even in the
United States, which has placed a high priority on the use of ICT in education,
spending on technology training for teachers increased only slightly, to 5% of
the technology budget in 1998-99 from 4% in 1994-95.
Furthermore, the fact that a country has a high level of
access to ICT may conceal considerable inequity within the population, adding a
new factor, wealth, to the digital divide equation. The recent dramatic
increase in Internet access within the UK in a single year highlights the
growing disparity between the richest and the poorest sectors of society.
Access for the nation’s poorest 10% more than doubled during the year, but was
still barely 5%, while at the upper end of the scale access was close to 50%.
Other disadvantaged groups can be identified in advanced countries,
such as linguistic and ethnic minorities, those who live in isolated
communities and those who are socially excluded, for whatever reason. Women in
many societies are much less likely than men to have access to ICT. And there
may be inter-generational gaps, such as for men in mid-life whose work skills
are no longer in demand, whose modest educational achievements have left them
ill-equipped even to want to become computer literate. For some, the workplace
stimulates awareness of the potential of ICT and promotes the development of
ICT skills. Others, lacking this incentive, are left aside.
Here too, experience is already showing the value of
targeted educational effort. Schemes in which well-qualified tutors use ICT for
unemployed adult learners in the United States have not only imparted
significant ICT skills, but have given a new confidence and self respect to the
learners, as they realise that they have mastered what many who are better
educated have not yet begun to grasp.
Whether in the workplace or the classroom, the teacher
cannot work in isolation. Quality in the learning experience requires an
abundant supply of appropriate multimedia learning materials, which entails
partnership between the suppliers and the users. Mindful that much learning
extends beyond the formal system, effective dialogue is needed among all the
parties concerned, extending to employers and the learners themselves, with
governments working in partnership with them. It is for governments to “broker”
arrangements between educational ICT developers, suppliers and users, both in
the public and the private sectors, to promote quality in the use of ICT for
learning, and to encourage research.
Digital literacy is worthwhile not only for its own sake;
it can contribute handsomely to overcoming severe structural weaknesses within
society. The flexibility and versatility of e-learning may transform the
situation of adults who had little formal education, or who achieved little
educational success in earlier life. Familiarity and competence with ICT may
provide an entrée into corporate life for those who were previously excluded.
It may draw more of the population into the decision-making of the democratic
process, thereby making for a society more at ease with itself. For many, ICT
becomes the key to lifelong learning, and once the habits of lifelong learning
are widely in place, learning becomes the key to capitalising on the huge
potential benefits of ICT.
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