Is Information Technology Important to the Poor?

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Last week, I was asked a number of questions by a new national funder in the technology and digital media space. The questions were formed by her desire to understand MacArthur’s Digital Media Study. Below are the questions and my responses. I would love to hear if anyone has anything else to share. Questions: How does providing “core media literacy skills” to low-income youth address the “participation gap” as define in the Mac Arthur Study? Are information technology skills really that important to underserved communities in the US and abroad when compared to basic needs such as food and shelter? If so, why? Are information technology skills viewed as a luxury by low-income individuals here in the US and abroad? My Response: The days when informational technology (info tech) and access to it can be viewed as a luxury are over. As stated recently in a New York Times article even the poorest of the poor in third world countries view info tech as a necessity. "When given the choice, they will choose the ability to communicate with their families, employers, customers, aid agencies… as important as food and shelter." (New York Times: Can the Cell Phone Help End Global Poverty? by Sara Corbett, April 13, 2008) This fact is demonstrated by the ubiquitous penetration of info tech into nearly every community in the world. This penetration would not be possible if people did not value and see it as important. One difference between the US and third world countries is access.First, access to a device (cell phone, computer, etc.) then access to a consistent source of power to run the device, then to a reliable network for the device to be apart of. Unlike many of the third world counties, most of the underserved communities in the US have the first two hurdles covered. Most communities have access to some type of device

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