Pros And Cons Of The Digital Divide

Around the world one thing connects us all, technology. The digital divide is a social issue having to do with the ability of some individuals having more access to technology than others. While the Internet, along with telephones and other technological advances, enable people to stay connected to events in their states, nation and around the world, some do not have the luxury of constantly being informed. The idea of the “digital gap” has to do with the growing divide occurring between the lesser privileged members of society and members of the wealthier, middle-class having access to technology. The divide, however, is not strictly defined by monetary factors. Location, age, skill and handicaps also contribute largely to the digital divide.

As far as location goes, the Internet and other technological devices do not have the ability to function in certain areas due to lack of connection. …show more content…
As mentioned before, money and location are not the only factors in our divide. Having the skills necessary to work technology is a major factor also. In the United States, many socio-economic divisions are clearly evident in our society such as the lower class, middle class and upper class (Hill, 2008). As long as these divisions exist, the digital divide will only continue to expand at a rapid rate. 43% of Americans living in the lower class division beneath the poverty line defined by the government are illiterate (Roberts, 1998). Individuals who are illiterate within our class system, and constantly overlooked, cannot be taught technological literacy if they can’t read to begin with. Until more people are taught literacy within the divisions of our system, our digital divide will only grow. While there are many who can simply cannot read due to lack of education, many can’t due to disabilities. Steps should be taken on their behalf so their roles in the divide are not