The Advantages and Disadvantages of Improving the Digital Divide Essay

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Improving the Digital Divide - Essay Example This paper will begin with the statement that today Information Technology is a vital component in the daily lives of a majority of Americans. Statistics show that the fraction of the population that has internet access stands at more than half, while those that own computers stands at two thirds. The computers are used both within households and at places of work. As a result, computers greatly influence their jobs, their leisure time activities, communication patterns and their access and distribution of information. The growth and diffusion of Information Technology use across the globe have resulted in it becoming a key element in governance, financial activities and social aspects of people’s lives. It is extensively used by individuals, firms, and governments for virtually all kind of transactions. This is mostly the case in the developed world. Computers and mobile phones have become imperative to nearly all aspects of life, including daily activities such as working, f orming relationships, communicating and spending leisure time. The development of Information Technology and its spread across the globe has however not happened in uniformity. As a result, some sections of the global population remain lagging behind others, in terms of the use and access to Information Technology. The difference between the two sections can be loosely referred to as the digital divide. The gap between individuals, households, businesses and geographic areas at different socio-economic levels, with regard both to their opportunities to access information and communication technologies (ICTs), and to their use of the internet for a wide variety of activities. The digital divide reflects various differences within countries. In an article ran in the Sydney Morning Herald, O’Leary intimates that a study by the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed that at least 21 percent of Australians did not have access to the internet within their homes. Additionally, som e groups within society had less access to the internet compared to others. This included the people living with disabilities whose access rate stood at only 62 percent, for the indigenous Australians, they were reported to be only 24 percent more likely the internet as the non-indigenous Australians to have easy access to the internet. This reveals a huge gap in the access levels that traverses beyond just geographical location. Further, the Organization for Economic Co-operation provides the results of a study that seeks to identify any such disparities in access to Information Technology within the American society. The result is a glaring confirmation that indeed some sections of the society are less likely to have access to Information Technology either by their race, or geographical location among other factors. Advantages of Bridging the Digital Divide American poet Robin Morgan deems that â€Å"information is power†. This underscores the significance of access to info rmation in the contemporary world.