{"id":318,"date":"2015-04-02T22:23:50","date_gmt":"2015-04-02T22:23:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/accintrotomedia\/chapter\/13-4-digital-divide-in-a-global-economy\/"},"modified":"2022-02-14T05:34:49","modified_gmt":"2022-02-14T05:34:49","slug":"13-4-digital-divide-in-a-global-economy","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/accintrotomedia\/chapter\/13-4-digital-divide-in-a-global-economy\/","title":{"raw":"13.4 Digital Divide in a Global Economy","rendered":"13.4 Digital Divide in a Global Economy"},"content":{"raw":"
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Learning Objectives<\/h3>\r\n
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  1. Identify ways that digital communication is changing international economics, particularly in developing countries.<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. Identify difficulties that face those without adequate Internet access in developed countries.<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. Evaluate the relative success of various plans for closing the \u201cdigital divide.\u201d<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n

    More than just a tool for information transfer, the Internet has become a conduit for a globalized workforce. A corporation in New York can outsource electronically based work to a highly connected developing country like India without incurring the sort of shipping charges or communication delays that previously impeded such efforts. Internet access, particularly for business, has made development possible in remote areas, allowing corporations access to less expensive labor and allowing money to flow into developing countries. However, as the Internet has become integrated into daily business life, a digital divide<\/a><\/span> has emerged: Some derive the benefits from Internet access, but many others do not.<\/p>\r\n

    Many U.S. and international leaders and nongovernmental organizations have identified the digital divide as an area of concern. A globalized workforce does not separate the world into easily divisible political territories but rather into those that have useful access to technology to reach a wider market and those that do not. As the 21st century develops, worldwide communication has become increasingly imperative for a healthy economy, creating a new challenge to make sure that rapid technological changes do not preclude economic success for less developed economies.<\/p>\r\n

    However, the problem extends beyond simple access or even competency. The 80\/20 effect<\/a><\/span>, under which 80 percent of profit is created for the most affluent 20 percent, exacerbates the digital divide. In other words, the Internet\u2014created in large part by and for the rich\u2014is practically useless for the poor, particularly in developing countries. Thus, bridging the digital divide is about helping those with little or no access to the digital world gain the ability to use technology in economically advantageous ways.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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    The Informational Shift<\/h2>\r\n

    As information and media move online, those without ready access to the Internet are increasingly being left behind. Even in developed countries such as the United States, the digital divide is readily apparent. Often, older and less educated workers do not have computer skills or home Internet access. In June 2009, the Pew Research Center studied the demographic differences in broadband Internet adoption and found that 45 percent of those without Internet access were age 65 and over (Horrigan, 2009). Even more significantly, a quarter of the unconnected were between the ages of 50 and 64. These workers are at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to finding and being hired for jobs.<\/p>\r\n

    As classified advertisements and job postings have left newspapers for the web, Internet access has become vital to even finding a job to apply for. In the above-mentioned Pew survey, 20 percent of respondents had incomes of less than $20,000 per year. However, these 20 percent made up a disproportionately high 48 percent of the survey\u2019s non-Internet users; a full 64 percent of low-income survey participants did not have access to the Internet. These numbers drastically dropped as wages increased\u2014while those making under $40,000 per year made up 80 percent of non-Internet users, those making over $50,000 made up 50 percent of high-speed Internet users. As the Internet is becoming an integral part of our daily lives, a lack of access among certain groups could severely hamper upward economic mobility.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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    Computer Skills and Older Workers<\/h2>\r\n

    Access to the Internet is an essential aspect of many successful job hunts, but it is also important to consider computer skills themselves. Many older adults who grew up without the Internet lack the computer and technology skills that contemporary jobs require. MSNBC reported in October 2009 that unemployment rates for older workers were at a 60-year high, having doubled in the period between late 2007 and the fall of 2009 (Johnson, 2009). While the overall unemployment rate at that time had reached a 26-year high, older workers who lacked the skills of younger, computer-savvy adults were suffering disproportionately. Lack of computer skills can be a crippling impediment to job success, even if a person can find a job in difficult economic times.<\/p>\r\n

    In response to these challenges, libraries and other nonprofit groups have taken on the task of training older unemployed workers to effectively use the Internet for job-related needs. These training courses, beginning with turning on a computer and using the mouse and ranging into advanced office program use, seek to provide skills necessary to allow older workers to reenter the work force. These organizations also aim to show users that they can increase their quality of life by setting up e-mail for communication with friends and family members.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n

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    The Digital Divide Abroad<\/h2>\r\n

    While the digital divide in the United States is largely a matter of education, cost barrier, and lack of adoption of new technology, the digital divide in economically underdeveloped countries adds the complication of infrastructure. Internet service requires the existence of widespread stable networks to handle large computer centers, and electronic access to the outside world needs a constant data connection. Therefore, in many developing countries, practically no residents have access to computers and the Internet; this cuts them off not only from information but from the entire global economy.<\/p>\r\nFrom Statista:<\/a>\r\n\r\nDisconnected: 2.9 Billion People Still Offline<\/span>\r\n\r\nGLOBAL INTERNET USE<\/span>\r\n