The Evolution of Inequalities
While I was in front of the monitor trying to complete this blog, I was thinking of the different ways many people pictured the 21st century. For starters, I remember watching movies in which a radioactive war destroyed the earth and only a small group of people survived and moved to deserted places( this sound like the movie “Mad Max”). Other movies weren’t as fatalistic, they showed a world without contamination, automated cars, controlled population, robots everywhere and most of all there was peace on earth. Why am I talking about this when I am supposed to be talking about a “digital divide”?
First, the 21st century is far from the two descriptions below. This century is described as the age of communication. Needless to say, satellites rule space, people in developed countries are glued to cell phones and the World Wide Web makes possible mass information “around the world”. As result of these technological advancements many tend to believe that the world is more united than ever. Also, there is the belief that we may reach social equality through the world of communications and digitalization. According to many analysts, the digital era will break social and national barriers. Even though these statements are to be further investigated there is this big question in the air Why do we have a digital divide?
The answers are not new. Even though we live in a globalized world there are still racial, social and economical inequalities. Therefore, the same factors that cause people to remain at the bottom of the social and economical chain are also triggering the digital divide. According to different sources of research, rural areas and poor regions of the world lack digital access. Also in the United States some statics show that blacks and other minority groups don’t have total access to the internet. This is alarming but, we are only focusing on providing ideas on how technology can be used to improve education and other aspects of society instead of actually working to provide the proper conditions for what is supposed to be a “digital union”. Interesting facts and solutions are in the “boiling room” until then, the question is still in the air.
While I was in front of the monitor trying to complete this blog, I was thinking of the different ways many people pictured the 21st century. For starters, I remember watching movies in which a radioactive war destroyed the earth and only a small group of people survived and moved to deserted places( this sound like the movie “Mad Max”). Other movies weren’t as fatalistic, they showed a world without contamination, automated cars, controlled population, robots everywhere and most of all there was peace on earth. Why am I talking about this when I am supposed to be talking about a “digital divide”?
First, the 21st century is far from the two descriptions below. This century is described as the age of communication. Needless to say, satellites rule space, people in developed countries are glued to cell phones and the World Wide Web makes possible mass information “around the world”. As result of these technological advancements many tend to believe that the world is more united than ever. Also, there is the belief that we may reach social equality through the world of communications and digitalization. According to many analysts, the digital era will break social and national barriers. Even though these statements are to be further investigated there is this big question in the air Why do we have a digital divide?
The answers are not new. Even though we live in a globalized world there are still racial, social and economical inequalities. Therefore, the same factors that cause people to remain at the bottom of the social and economical chain are also triggering the digital divide. According to different sources of research, rural areas and poor regions of the world lack digital access. Also in the United States some statics show that blacks and other minority groups don’t have total access to the internet. This is alarming but, we are only focusing on providing ideas on how technology can be used to improve education and other aspects of society instead of actually working to provide the proper conditions for what is supposed to be a “digital union”. Interesting facts and solutions are in the “boiling room” until then, the question is still in the air.
posted by Lizely | 9:01 PM
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