Digital Divide is defined as the division between those with technological resources and those who do not. What’s more important to note, however, is that the sector of those who make up the portion of people with resources are mostly middle to upper-middle class citizens. A good margin of citizens who aren’t technologically capable are those who fall under the poverty line and are struggling. Issues similar to these should be discussed more especially in our context, where just two years ago, 22 million of our countrymen fell under the poverty level (Almendras, 2022). 

Now, the question is why the presence of a Digital Divide is a significant enough issue that should be covered more on by the media. The answer to that is that Digital Divide plays a major role in how information is shared and disseminated between members of society. The higher the economic and social class of a citizen, it usually means their capability to mend what is seen on the internet is also heightened (D'AMATO, 2017). An increased capacity translates to a greater power and influence over the audience of said citizens. Malicious intent has always made up a major chunk of information on topics as controversial as politics, as politicians use their own power and resources to share disinformation and false propaganda amongst online communities around our country. While citizens such as us usually know better than to believe what we see, people in poverty, especially the youth, are more prone to immediately digesting what they consume. Not only are they usually not as well-educated on topics surrounding media, but they also lack the technological capabilities they need to first verify the information they come across on the internet. Said consumed data suddenly leads up to a flawed worldview which stems from the agenda of someone else. One’s perspective is always made up by a combination of multiple varying factors, but with the nature of human beings, the information we gather from people we call our family and friends is usually more influential than those of a random stranger. The consumption of disinformation creates a chain of false narratives being spread, resulting in the malicious intent of someone in power resulting in a success.

With that being said, the reason why Digital Divide should be discussed more is that it is present in the context of our country today, whether we realize it or not. Not just that, but outside of the current major calamities we are facing as citizens, it is important that we elect leaders who promote the well-being of the less fortunate, which also includes the digital literacy of citizens in a more technologically-centered society. As students, we do not have the means to completely change the situation of media and politics in the country, but we can certainly be driven by our hunger for righteousness and truth. What is important is that we as a whole work as a collective to set aside our political biases and only strive for the objective facts, whether we may be in support of them or not.