After reading Kevin Guidry's descriptions I can undoubtedly
say that there is a digital divide. When I was reading the article on “Mobile
Phone Problems” I was most shocked by the discrepancy and findings that
researches had recorded stating that Hispanics and African American’s were
among those whose primary Internet browser’s were their phones. They allotted
these findings to the fact there the Hispanics and African American’s came from
lower income families and therefore didn’t have the means to buy a computer or
laptop. Their main way of getting information from the Internet was via their
phone. After reading Kevin’s descriptions I definitely believe in the digital
divide and participation gap. If people do not have the means, or cannot afford
to get internet access or have the chance to train themselves in the same ways
that everyone else can the gap and divide will only continue to grow.The digital divide will continue to grow because of the
limited nature of Internet access. At the University of Maryland for example,
Internet access on campus, in the library’s and in the various computer labs
located around campus, are only accessible by University of Maryland students.
Not everyone can gain access to the
Internet. You either need a password, or Wifi that someone is paying
for. I do believe that Internet access should be granted to everyone and that
pays for it, but that costs should sometimes be altered or considered on a case-by-case
situation. Everyone deserves access to the Internet in some form or another.
The participation gap is something that will also continue to grow if changes
are not made. While people need to spend more time on the Internet to become
more versed in the various techniques there are other ways of doing it. For
example in New York City, and the NYC Public Library, computers are accessible
to anyone who knows how to turn on a computer, as I am sure the situation is at
other public libraries. People need to be in charge of their own destiny, and
help themselves first.
As we have seen in the last 2 years, tablets and iPad’s, is a devise that gives people access to the Internet at a more reasonable price. With the growth of tablets and the like I believe that there may be hope for the digital divide and participation gap to shrink. Because the Internet plays such a prominent and dominant role in our daily lives it is becoming less of a novelty and more of a necessity. Instead of having to pay $1,000 for a Macbook Pro or $900 for a Dell laptop, people can now buy tablets made by Samsung, Sony, and Apple for about $200-$500. As more and more products come to the market, each one is going to contain to and improved technology and perks. Because the gadgets and technology industry is always growing there will always be new products and new opportunities for people to gain access to the Internet. Instead of having to buy your child a new laptop when they go to college, on top of the tuition money you are already spending, now you have the option to buy them an iPad or tablet that will give them a very similar experience at half the cost.
As we have seen in the last 2 years, tablets and iPad’s, is a devise that gives people access to the Internet at a more reasonable price. With the growth of tablets and the like I believe that there may be hope for the digital divide and participation gap to shrink. Because the Internet plays such a prominent and dominant role in our daily lives it is becoming less of a novelty and more of a necessity. Instead of having to pay $1,000 for a Macbook Pro or $900 for a Dell laptop, people can now buy tablets made by Samsung, Sony, and Apple for about $200-$500. As more and more products come to the market, each one is going to contain to and improved technology and perks. Because the gadgets and technology industry is always growing there will always be new products and new opportunities for people to gain access to the Internet. Instead of having to buy your child a new laptop when they go to college, on top of the tuition money you are already spending, now you have the option to buy them an iPad or tablet that will give them a very similar experience at half the cost.
Let me start of by saying that I do agree without a doubt that there is a digital divide. It is hard to refute the fact that internet access is not a universal right, but a privilege given to those in the middle and upper classes of society who can afford computers, tablets, and smart phones. I am, however, confused as to where you are getting your information from and who specifically you are talking about when you refer to "they" (as in "they allotted these findings to the fact…). To get a clearer understanding of your position and where your findings are coming from, it would be helpful if you included links to the studies that you gathered your information from, as well as graphics showing statistics. It is hard to connect fully to the post because you are referring to "Guidry's descriptions" and as an objective viewer I am not aware of who Guidry is and what his descriptions are. Besides that, I believe you make a good observation; tablets are becoming increasingly popular, giving internet access at a more reasonable price. Because computers are very pricey, and the lower class may not be able to afford access to the internet in this way, the rise of the tablet is providing a cheaper alternative to becoming digitized. You stated that you believe there may be a shrinking of the digital divide because of the prominence of tablets, and I believe that you may be right. I am very interested to see how tablets influence the participation of people on the internet, and if more people become plugged into the digital world because of the relative cheapness of a tablet. I wonder if tablets are the future to computers, and if they are going to close the widening digital divide.
ReplyDeletehttp://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/2012/04/10/intel-seeks-to-bridge-the-digital-divide-with-a-rugged-tablet-pc/