Mathews Guide : Global Digital Divide

Technology helps people learn, work, and stay connected. Students use the internet to study for school, and adults use it to find jobs, buy things, and talk to friends and family. It can make life easier and more fun. But if some people don’t have access to technology, they miss out on these opportunities. For example, a student in a country without the internet may not be able to watch educational videos or do research online, while a student in a country with good internet can learn so much more.

Access: Some people can use the internet whenever they want, but others don’t even have a computer. For example, kids in some parts of Brazil might go to a school with no computers, while kids in Japan might have a tablet for every student.

Connection quality: Having internet access is not enough if it’s very slow. Many people in rural parts of India might have to wait a long time to load a simple webpage, while people in cities like London or New York can stream videos without any problems.

Skill: Even if someone has a smartphone, they may not know how to use it to apply for jobs, find information, or learn new things. This is also a part of the digital divide. For instance, older adults in many countries might need help learning to use the internet safely.

The digital divide makes life harder for people who can’t use technology. It means they might have trouble getting a good education, finding a job, or even getting important information, like weather alerts or health advice. In some countries, the internet helps people start businesses, but in other places, people can’t do that because they don’t have good technology. This can make poor countries even poorer because they can’t keep up with richer countries that have more advanced technology.

Education: When schools had to close during the COVID-19 pandemic, many children in places like Africa, Asia, and even rural parts of the United States couldn’t attend online classes because they didn’t have a computer or internet at home. Meanwhile, students in other parts of the world could keep learning. This made the education gap even bigger.

Jobs: More and more jobs today require using computers. If someone doesn’t have the skills or tools to use a computer, they might not be able to get a good job. For example, people living in big cities like Seoul or Berlin might be able to work from home using the internet, but in rural villages in Ethiopia, people might not have the same chance.

Healthcare: In some places, people can talk to doctors online, which helps them get medical advice faster. But in areas without good internet, people have to travel long distances to see a doctor. This is a problem in many rural parts of countries like India and South Africa.

Staying connected: The internet lets people keep in touch with friends and family, even if they live far away. This is especially important for families who have members working in other countries. For instance, a family in Mexico might rely on video calls to stay connected with a parent working in the United States. Without good internet, this becomes difficult.

To fix the digital divide, people around the world are working on ways to bring technology to everyone. Some groups give computers to schools in poor areas. Others try to make the internet cheaper so more people can afford it. In some countries, people are building special towers and using satellites to bring the internet to villages far away. Everyone, including governments, companies, and regular people, can help make sure that everyone in the world has the same chance to use technology.

Cost: Not everyone can afford to buy a computer, smartphone, or pay for internet service. In some places, the cost of these things is too high compared to how much people earn. For example, a computer might be very expensive for a family in Zimbabwe, but more affordable for a family in France.

Location: People who live in cities usually have better internet access than those who live in the countryside. For instance, someone living in a big city in China will probably have fast internet, but someone living in a small village in the Philippines might not have internet at all.

Education: Knowing how to use technology is a skill that some people never get to learn, especially in areas where schools don’t teach computer classes. A person who never learned to use a computer might find it hard to catch up later in life, even if they have a smartphone. This can happen in both developed and developing countries.

Infrastructure: Infrastructure means the basic systems and structures that make it possible to use technology, like power lines, internet cables, and cell phone towers. In some parts of the world, like remote areas of Nepal or the Amazon rainforest, building this infrastructure is very difficult because of the rough terrain.