Digital Divide

In developing countries we can all guess that money isn’t something everyone has, and every on that does have it, doesn’t have a lot of it, how does this effect the gap? Well these people simply do not have the money to buy the equipment needed to bridge the gap, and in most cases, countries that are in poverty are more worried about the basic things of life such as clean water, teaching hygiene and putting food on the table, than they are about getting a computer so that they can access the internet!

It has been stereotyped that girls are all about make up and doing their hair and boys are all about their gadgets.

Because of this stereotype the female sex is not encouraged enough to actually go forward and use the technology that is so readily available, they feel as if it’s not meant for them and so in turn don’t have the confidence to use this. It seems as if industries seem to aim their products at the male sex, using advertisements that appeal to them etc. and the females don’t feel the need to catch onto the technology needed.

Age can be treated in the same way.

Access to the world of information is also dependent on where you live.

In the UK, some areas have access to broadband connections - some do not. In rural areas there may be fewer schemes for community access to the Internet (libraries, cybercafes etc).

Geographical location may influence a person's wealth or education. Wealthier families are more likely to have Internet access at home.

There may be more ICT-related job opportunities in large cities...so the need to use digital technology will be greater.

Internet access also depends on which country you live in. Some countries have better communications links than others. There may be poor links in countries that have large areas with few people (eg deserts, mountains)

The governments of some countries have schemes for education that involve providing hardware and Internet access for educational institutions as well as for communities. Schools, colleges and libraries may be connected to the Internet. The governments of poorer countries will not be able to do this.