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Val Souza |
Who's afraid of the Digital Divide?
Summary
Is the digital divide, that alleged
gaping chasm that separates the "technology haves"
from the "technology have-nots" a figment of the
imagination of over-zealous academics and activists? Statistics
that reflect the rapid spread of Internet access and mobile
telephony to an ever-increasing number of earthlings certainly
seem to indicate as such. Yet the digital divide does exist,
and the enabling nature of information and communication technologies
causes it to widen, if unchecked.
On the other hand this very same enabling
nature of ICTs means that bridging the digital divide gives
us a genuine shot at alleviating poverty, increasing the quality
of life for the underprivileged, and reducing the vast urban-rural
disparity that's so prevalent in the developing world. This
is not necessarily achieved by putting a computer in every
village or giving a laptop to every child, but rather by making
effective use of ICTs to better the lives of the rural deprived
and the urban underprivileged, providing them with opportunities
and facilities that were hitherto unavailable to them.
While multinational corporations have
been eyeing these huge untapped markets, so far it is local
firms with an intimate understanding of the culture and constraints
that have come up with innovative solutions that are viable
and sustainable. Technology has now evolved to a stage when
it can truly become that great leveller that has eluded mankind
since the beginnings of modern civilisation.
Issue dtd.
March 14th 2005
Part
I
Is the digital divide, that alleged gaping chasm that separates
the ‘technology haves’ from the ‘technology have-nots,’ a
figment of the imagination of over-zealous academics and activists,
sensationalist journalists and ill-informed policy-makers?
Issue dtd.
April 4th 2005
Part
II
Is the digital divide that alleged gaping chasm that separates
the “technology haves” from the “technology
have-nots” just a frivolous myth concocted by grant-chasing
social researchers keen to keep the fund flow in full spate?
Issue dtd.
April 18th 2005
Part
III
Could information and communication technology (ICT) be that
great leveller that has eluded society from the beginnings
of modern civilisation?
Issue dtd.
May 2nd 2005
Part
IV
When the hype surrounding the digital divide was at its peak
4-5 years ago, millions of dollars were being poured into
pilot projects aimed at taking technology to the deprived.
Many of these projects-commendable as they might have been-were
not sustainable once the funding plug was pulled. In other
cases, ICTs were being touted as the solution to a range of
problems, when in fact many of those problems could be better
tackled by alternative conventional means. Further, the particular
local needs of the people identified as beneficiaries were
not always addressed, and the fact that these needs could
differ considerably from region to region was often ignored.
In many instances, locally relevant content in languages and
interfaces that could be understood and exploited by the intended
beneficiaries was insufficient.
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