Week 10: Question 2 (b)

b) To global access issues across countries and regions

For years now the internet has enabled people in various countries to be connected all around the world twenty four hours a day, allowing them to access practically anything that they want to find out about at just a click of a button.

There is the notion that not all countries/regions are as technologically developed as our country. In fact some are far more technologically developed such as China etc whereas others have limited access to digital technology. The idea of Less Economically developed countries (LEDC’s) and More Economically developed countries (MEDC’s) is implied here. Some countries do not even have the money to purchase these new digital technologies to allow them to develop. Many countries/regions might not even recognise the term ‘digital divide’ as some have little or no electronic appliances. This is highlighted by the theorist Lu who states “In developing countries, citizens do not have the disposable income to purchase the necessary equipment for internet access or and digital technology in general. It is not just the equipment; a literacy is also necessary to use it” (Lu, 2001).

In many countries the idea of become digitalised is not as important as issues such as health and poverty, implying that not every country or region is ready to be digitally caught up at this moment in time. This is an idea which could be isolating regions to get connected sooner consequently making the global digital divide greater. Again the idea of education can also be mentioned here. Online learning in some countries/regions is extremely limited.Children that are supposed to be 'native' to these technoliges have little or no access to this technology resulting in them not being able to use this technology effectively. Online communities, communities of practice and societies are also limited as people are unable to access the internet and interact with people who have similar or differing views and opinions due to various cultures. The idea of a digital divide not even being an issue in some countries can be suggested as they have no idea what Digitalisation is and therefore do not feel like they are missing out.

Both parts of this question imply how much we (the digital natives and immigrants) take the idea of technology for granted. Some of us feel like we’re missing out by not having the latest gadget. But what we should realise is that in some cases we have far more than other people. I feel that we are so native to technology today that if it went tomorrow we would have no idea how to carry on. Some LEDC’s have never even seen a phone or a computer or even have electricity in places, a number of of the gadgets that we have to them must seem unbelievable as it is something that they will have never encountered before. Hopefully more LEDC's will be able to catch up with technology at some point or at least get to a standard which will help to change their loves. If you think about China are far more devloped than us, so perhaps once we've reached China's idea of development perhaps some of the LEDC's will have reached to where we are now.

Lu, M (2001) “Digital Divide in Developing Countries” Journal of Global Information Technology Management, Volume 4 (3), pp. 1 – 4, http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=0&did=83155528&SrchMode=1&sid=1&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1237463068&clientId=57096