Week 7
The digital divide
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What an eye opening topic to explore. Our lives are changing at the speed of light and technology is the new “norm”. This week we explored the concept of the digital divide. I learned so much about the obstacles of our new generation. Everything thing we do has been forced to an online platform. Everything from education to paying bills to emailing and texting to communicate, our medical and health. Everything is at our fingertips and as great as that is, it also poses a huge problem. The problem is access. Not everyone has a computer. Not everyone has a smartphone. Not everyone knows how to operate and navigate these technologies even if they do have access to them. That presents problems. Education, and money. Not everyone has access to either. If you have a bill to pay, and the online option is to do it online, what is one to do? What if you want a better job, but have to apply online, as well as upload and submit a resume. How are you supposed to know how to do this? It puts you at an automatic disadvantage. Where is the training? Where are the resources? We have turned a corner in advancing in technology so quickly, how are we supposed to keep up with all it entails to navigate this whole thing? I am prompted to think, how can we solve this? I see the need for education and training. I see the need for people to to be able to have access to the internet. I see a need for people to have access to to chrome books and laptops and smart phones. Who is going to create these programs? Who is going to fiance these items? Whose responsibility is it? I think it will take a collaborated effort. Its like an onion. You also then have to consider privacy, being “spied” on, and algorithms tailored to your interests. It is a complex problem. It will be interesting to see how things change. As for me, I am doing the best I can to keep up with it all. Because I graduated in 1993, everything I know has been self taught. At times I feel like a digital dinosaur. I find myself struggling to keep up, so I cannot even imagine how another percent of the population is feeling. Its pretty crazy when your 16 year old son knows more about technology than I ever could. How was I supposed to know???? Welcome to the digital divide.
