I think that some of this digital divide stuff is premature and I understand that it exists but I think that we need to give it a bit more time. If you look at cell phones they have been around for probably at least twenty years. Everyone remembers the Zach Morris (Saved By the Bell) phone in the early nineties. I mean they existed and the technology was there, but only the really rich had cell phones, because the phones themselves were really expensive and the plans were really expensive. Cell phones became popular when the plans became more reasonable and the phones became much cheaper. Now most people can afford a phone and the cell phone companies are making it much easier for everyone to own a phone, they have plans with no contracts and they also have prepaid phones, which is basically where you buy minutes to use.
With computers it might take a bit longer for them to become cheap enough for everyone to buy one but that day will come. I was without a computer for a couple of months and I just made use of my local library. I think the public library is a very important thing because it gives people the opportunity to be connected even if they can't afford it. In my ICM 501 class we were talking about this and a classmate made a point that maybe since everyone can afford a cell phone maybe using a cell phone as your primary source for staying connected might be a possibility. I'm not sure how I feel about that but I think it is definetely a possibility you can do so much on your phone right now and the things that you can do on your phone or only going to keep growing. Do you think that cell phones will be the key in bridging the digital divide?
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_4290000/newsid_4298600/4298612.stm
This has been in the news for a couple weeks. I can not question the real intend of the company that is behind this (are they trying to make a buck or really help out).
The internet is huge, there is no way around it. Personally, I have friends who still do not have an email account and have never really "surfed". When it comes to finding a product, doing homework, or worst yet, looking for a job, they are always complaining. Hmm.
Yes, I have tried to persuade them to get with the times (desktops go for $300) but they refuse. Anyone else dealing with this situation? Suggestions are welcomed
Here is an ironic quote from our Hargittai reading: "Mass Media seems to reinforce knowledge gaps across the population."
Aren't the mass media supposed to be doing just the opposite?!!?
Rafal hit on an excellent point: It's not enough to improve access to computers and train people how to use them: People have to WANT to use them.
Some are just intimidated by technology. For a lot of folks, a computer is just one more thing that can break down and cause them aggravation. There's a lot to be said for keeping life simple.
Some people don't have computers because they they don't trust their security--given our last unit of study, they have good point!
I know a few people who won't go online because they're worried they'll either just waste time there or become addicted.
To get more people into the digital age, we have to make computers
easier and safer and cheaper to use.
Sometimes you can get people to venture into the internet by offering to help them with a specific problem they are facing--like finding a dog to adopt from an animal shelter or accessing information about an illness.
Once they experience a computer saving them time, money, or aggravation on a regular basis, they might be motivated to use one.
Despite their great advantages, however, computers do create their own set of problems. When I first started to use one as a teacher in the mid 80's, I thought it would be a great time saver. It wasn't.
The computer simply raised my personal standards for what I considered to be quality work. Similarly, cell phones and email are great conveniences, but they also intrude on our time to just....THINK.
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