Bridging the Digital Divide

717 Words3 Pages
Ever since the internet was introduced to family homes in America, around 20 years go, it has quickly and vastly changed the face of our nation. Today you can find multiple computers in most homes across the country in a variety of forms including desk tops, laptops, tablets, and cell phones. Access to the internet has changed daily life in countless aspects, and staying perpetually connected is a new standard of living. As time continues to unfold and with technology rapidly improving, society is becoming ever more dependent on the the internet and the benefits it offers. It is unknown how the internet will involve over the next twenty years, but it will forever remain a staple in our growing society. Although most people now have steady access to the internet, there remains a discrepancy between people who are able to access resources the internet offers, and people who remain unable to access such technologies. The “Digital Divide,” as it is referred to can occur on many levels such as people living in rural areas versus urban areas, those who are educated versus the uneducated, varying economic classes, age level, and even spreads through a universal scale between industrially developed countries, and third world countries. Without access to the internet, those who are on the underside of the digital divide are losing out on valuable information, communication, and commerce which the internet provides. Not having an internet connection means that these affect groups are missing out on crucial contact which the rest of the world is tapped into. Due to the implications of the digital divide, then government must take steps in order to bridge the gap to individuals who do not have internet access or function-ability. Lessening the divide in society means a higher quality of life for citizens, due to their ability to compete and interact through the internet.

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