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Introduction
Introduction
The digital divide is the gap between those who can benefit from the internet and those who cannot. Initially coined to refer solely to access - people connected to the internet and people who are not -, the term expanded to address the difference between people who have meaningful access to the internet from people who have less significant or no access to the internet.
Main stakeholders
Main stakeholders
People without meaningful access to the internet
People with meaningful access to the internet
Society as a whole
Tech companies
Governments
Impact on stakeholders
Impact on stakeholders
People without meaningful access to the internet
People without meaningful access to the internet
Positive impact
It is hard to find a positive impact on excluded people. For the sake of this exercise, let’s consider the necessity of more real, face-to-face interaction with people and the likelihood of develop and work on analog materials as a beneficial side of not having a meaningful connection to the internet.
Negative impact
Not being able to use the internet as its best can led to limited opportunities. Also, it has been observed that a digital gap, in many cases, is also a knowledge gap since digital products are completely changing how we learn nowadays. The digital gap also maintains other systemic problems since the lack of connectivity is strictly related to economic factors (that are also connected to racial inequality and so on).
People with meaningful access to the internet
People with meaningful access to the internet
Positive impact
People with meaningful access to the internet see more chances to thrive. They can achieve valuable knowledge that can put them in advantageous positions compared to those on the other side of the digital divide.
Negative impact
For some people, the only thing that puts them in a better position is the higher number of opportunities. It creates a false sense of merit that can accommodate them because of the lack of competition.
Society as a whole
Society as a whole
Positive impact
Again, it is hard to look for the benefits of excluding people. For the purpose of this exercise, some of the positive effects of a digital divide would be the possibility of having people focusing on non-digital essential activities, but even these activities would benefit from access to digital means. Another positive aspect is that we have a society that is not totally dependent on technology.
Negative impact
The digital gap contributes to the general inequality of society. Giving meaningful access to the internet for everyone would create a community with more opportunities to thrive and create a healthier competition that would contribute to society’s betterment.
Tech companies
Tech companies
Positive impact
As some people need digital products to have an advantage of the digital divide, tech companies can sell some products as “luxury items” and charge significant amounts of money for them. Also, not having to create products for everyone, somehow, gives tech companies the ability to focus on advanced products and features that requires some savviness.
Negative impact
The digital divide has more significant negative impacts on tech companies. Less access to digital products decreases the potential number of users and leads to less revenue and less profit.
Government
Government
Positive impact
Maintaining the status quo often benefits those who are in power. Also, some governments can benefit from the lack of access to the internet by having their actions less accountable and making it hard for people to complain about it (and even organize themselves around causes).
Negative impact
The digital divide makes it harder for governments to offer digital services that are cheaper to maintain and more sustainable in a lot of cases. Also, governance will always be held accountable for not working to solve inequalities.
Key relationships between macro stakeholders
Key relationships between macro stakeholders
Individuals vs Businesses
Individuals vs Businesses
The individuals that have meaningful access to the internet have an advantage over those who don’t. While some privileged want to maintain their advantages, businesses would benefit from a more connected world in two main ways: more technological advancements would result from more inclusion, and tech companies would have a more significant number of potential users.
Individuals and Businesses vs the Planet
Individuals and Businesses vs the Planet
People who have better access to the internet have more chances to thrive. A more connected world can benefit businesses in general, especially by augmenting their productivities. However, the increasing adoption of digital technologies has a side effect on the planet since a good part of the materials used in hardware is not renewable.
Society as a whole, Individuals and the Planet vs Businesses
Society as a whole, Individuals and the Planet vs Businesses
The world as a whole could benefit from the extinction of the digital divide—even the environment. Advances in technology can help build a more sustainable world. But at the first moment, it would require that some businesses change the way they operate. Profitable operations, like planned obsolescence, would have to be abandoned.
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