In Hong Kong, about 40% of households do not have a computer, while 70% do not use the Internet. Despite the rapid development and widespread use of information and communication technologies in recent years, scholars have drawn attention to the fact that access to these innovations is by no means even [1], and this has raised concerns about an emerging information gap in a society based on income and education. The issue of whether equitable access to information technologies and services in the digital age for the poor, the elderly and other disadvantaged groups is currently a controversial topic. The purpose of this essay is to examine the hypothesis that access to information in the digital age is unfair. I will examine two refuting arguments and two supporting arguments. The counter arguments are the quality of government councils improved and benefit with minority groups, and the supporting arguments are reinforcement of the non-digital inequalities and replacement of traditional services with digital. Then I will conclude by presenting my own opinion on the topic.
Firstly, probably the most prominent refuting argument is that living of the elderly and the poor will be improved as government councils will become more open and better able to lead their communities than traditional services. [2] The minorities now have more channels to express their needs and opinions. Access to the Internet enhances the opportunities for citizens to access their political representatives and debate with government and each other [3], for example, citizens can express their expectations and opinions in the government portal before the release of the annual Budget in Hong Kong.
Secondly, the next most influential supporting point may be t...
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...rovided online. Therefore, these results in the digital divide.
References
1. N. Martin, The Information Age., New York: Blackwall, 2002
2. J. Siddiqi & B. Akhgar, "A Framework for Increasing Participation in E-Government," The 2006 Int. Conf. E-business, Enterprise Inform. Syst., E-government & Outsourcing, 2006. [Online]. Available: http://ww1.ucmss.com/books/LFS/CSREA2006/EEE4487.pdf. [Accessed Mar. 31, 2011].
3. I. Kearns, Code Red: Progressive Politics In The Digital Age., London: IPPR, 2001
4. L.D. Simon, Democracy and the Internet: Allies or Adversaries?, Washington, D.C. : Woodrow Wilson Center Press, 2003
5. Cabinet Office, E-government: A strategic framework for public services in the information age., London: 2000
6. Teicher, Julian & Hughes, "E-government: A New Route to Public Sector Quality," Managing Service Quality, vol. 12, no. 6, 2002.
... E. (2011). The net delusion. The dark side of internet freedom. New York, NY, USA: PublicAffairs.
The author is this article is Kalev Leetaru, he is known as an American internet entrepreneur and academic. He is also a contributor to Foreign Policy, where he discusses current political events worldwide. He was appointed adjunct assistant professor at Georgetown university which is ranked #6 internationally and is an extremely well respected university in Washington DC.
Laudon, Kenneth C. Traver, Carol. E-commerce: Business. Technology. Society 3th ed. Pearson Prentice Hall. Upper Saddle NJ, 2007.
Howard, P. N., & Hussain, M. M. (2011). The role of digital media. Journal of Democracy, 22(3), 35-
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The introduction of the Internet as an additional mass communication media has created new alternatives for information transmission. The ensuing popularity of the Internet has created many challenges that the public sector must deal with. Estimates in 1999 found that there are approximately 171 million Internet users worldwide (Group Computing, Jan/Feb 2000, p. 56). Change in the societal environment has made the Internet an integral part of the American economy.
Lanier, Jaron. "The False Ideals of the Web." New York Times. 30 Jan. 2012. Web. 30 Jan. 2012.
Sirico, Robert A. "Don’t Censor the Internet." Forbes 29 July 1996: 48. [Editorial outlining concerns about governmental control of the Internet and alternatives.]
...ation, or more efficient government management (worldbank.org, n.d). E-government [2] that describe the patterns of interactions of digital governments with the public: The first stage of e-government focuses on “digital presence” with simple information-providing Web sites of a passive nature, namely a digitization of government information. The second stage provides simple Web-based interactions of governments with citizens, businesses and other government agencies through email contact and interactive forms that can dynamically provide information needed. The third stage of this evolution provides online transaction services such as license renewal, permit applications and tax payments. The next stage is when the government promotes shared governance to transform how the government operates, in terms of seamless information flow and collaborative decision making.
This paper is going to explore the topic of e-democracy. As our society becomes more enthralled with technology and communication via the Web, it is important to consider what kind of methods and tools we use to communicate about issues that vastly affect everyone. Although some believe that there are positives and negatives regarding e-democracy, every subject is going to have pros and cons. Throughout this paper, I am going to explore what the “mainstream” media has written about e-democracy and both the positives and negatives of it as well. By using previous research, I would like to express why I think e-democracy’s positives outweigh the negatives and how society can benefit from such a technological breakthrough.
In summary, the Digital Divide is real and has placed a severe gap between certain groups of people in the American culture. The Land of Opportunity is not necessarily made available to all. In her CNet article, Sonia Arrison (2002), provides a unique perspective as to the reason behind the gap. “The digital divide is not a crisis, and it is certainly not the civil liberties issue of the 21st century. The real issues are the sorry state of education and the push to raise the taxes that affect lower income families most” (Arrison, 2002). Arrison states that if the Government could improve the education in the American schools and stop luxury taxes on so many services, the Digital Divide could easily be narrowed. By narrowing the divide, more families could afford Internet if so desired, and students could have access to a better education.
In 2012 the United Nations released a report declaring the internet access as a human right (United Nations, 2012). The way people use the internet today across the world makes it an extraordinary force. We can see its
...ice of public administration will continue to change with the further advances in society. Already there are many of issues that tomorrow’s public administrators will be dealing with. These issues will be varied and complex and will concern the ongoing development of computers, possible advancements in health care and science, and even major social and legislative shifts.