Introduction While the internet has brought tremendous social and economic opportunities to billions of people around the world, the remaining billions of people have been left on the short side of the gap known as the digital divide. This divide has contributed the perpetuation of poverty in developing nations tremendously by causing the people who live in these places to fall behind in adapting socioeconomic markets. Without access to the internet or even the software and hardware required to gain such access, the digital divide only continues to grow ever wider. However, the rise of social media may provide an optimistic outlook for those who have long been without access to the vast banks of information contained within the internet.
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17). This gap can contribute to the perpetuation of poverty through both social and economic implications. Without access to the internet, it can become increasingly difficult for individuals, organizations, and even entire countries to compete on a global business scale (Naidoo & Raju, 2012). Access to up-to-date and functional information systems can allow impoverished peoples the opportunity to sell goods on an open market, communicate with others around the world, and gain access to local, national, and global news networks, and the lack of such access can quickly leave these peoples stuck trading and interacting in stagnant economic and social markets. In January of 2011, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak provided an excellent demonstration of the economic implications of this gap when he blocked all Egyptian citizens from accessing the internet for five days in response to social media activity calling for a “Revolution Day” (Ali, 2011). In those five days alone, the country’s GDP took an estimated $90 million hit (Ali, 2011). If a country worth over $330 billion annually can take such a dramatic loss in less than a week due to a loss of internet access, the possibility of growth for developing nations with the ability to utilize information communication technology is virtually unlimited (World Bank, …show more content…
Social network sites allow users to communicate with people around the world instantly and trade on a global scale with ease. For Western communities, this means continued advancement of social and commercial interactions that can propel the economy forward. For developing nations with little to no access to such technology, this can mean increased global competition and a lack of knowledge resulting in the continuation of an already established state of poverty. Due to the decreasing cost of devices that can be used to access the internet, however, more people around the world may be able to gain access to the vast units of information contained on the web and to social media sites that could allow them to establish international connections to compete in a rapidly changing global economy. While the digital divide has undoubtedly contributed to the social and economic gap between developed and developing nations, social media could be the key to bridging that
17). This gap can contribute to the perpetuation of poverty through both social and economic implications. Without access to the internet, it can become increasingly difficult for individuals, organizations, and even entire countries to compete on a global business scale (Naidoo & Raju, 2012). Access to up-to-date and functional information systems can allow impoverished peoples the opportunity to sell goods on an open market, communicate with others around the world, and gain access to local, national, and global news networks, and the lack of such access can quickly leave these peoples stuck trading and interacting in stagnant economic and social markets. In January of 2011, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak provided an excellent demonstration of the economic implications of this gap when he blocked all Egyptian citizens from accessing the internet for five days in response to social media activity calling for a “Revolution Day” (Ali, 2011). In those five days alone, the country’s GDP took an estimated $90 million hit (Ali, 2011). If a country worth over $330 billion annually can take such a dramatic loss in less than a week due to a loss of internet access, the possibility of growth for developing nations with the ability to utilize information communication technology is virtually unlimited (World Bank, …show more content…
Social network sites allow users to communicate with people around the world instantly and trade on a global scale with ease. For Western communities, this means continued advancement of social and commercial interactions that can propel the economy forward. For developing nations with little to no access to such technology, this can mean increased global competition and a lack of knowledge resulting in the continuation of an already established state of poverty. Due to the decreasing cost of devices that can be used to access the internet, however, more people around the world may be able to gain access to the vast units of information contained on the web and to social media sites that could allow them to establish international connections to compete in a rapidly changing global economy. While the digital divide has undoubtedly contributed to the social and economic gap between developed and developing nations, social media could be the key to bridging that