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What is the impact of computers on our society and economy
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What is the impact of computers on our society and economy
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The purpose of Robert J. Samuelson’s article “Debunking the Digital Divide” is to explain that the popular political slogan “digital divide” is not as true as many people have been lead to believe. The digital divide is a theory that suggests that the advancement of technology will create an even larger gap between the “rich” and the “poor”. The ability/inability to afford a computer will increase income inequality between the technology “haves” and “have nots”. In his article, Samuelson states that, “this argument is either untrue or widely exaggerated”, and for many different reasons. However, wages statics and the widening of the wage gap give economist reasons to speculate. Samuelson makes two main points in his article and examines a study …show more content…
With the decrease in cost, computers are becoming easier for low income families to own, and gain technological skills that they may have not once been able to acquire. “In 1997 only 37 percent of households with incomes from $15,000 to $24,999 used computers at home or at work,” says Samuelson. That number grew to 47 percent in just four years, while during the same years; usage among families with incomes over $75,000 rose only 7 percent, from 81 percent to 88 percent. A fear that came from the idea of the digital divide was that low wage earners would not be able to purchase a computer or gain the computer skills needed to be competitive in the job market and their children would also suffer from a disadvantage. Samuelson’s data shows otherwise, the amount of computers in homes is actually greater among lower earners than higher earners. Also, as of 2000 most public school systems were connected to the internet with one computer for every four children, giving students that may not have a computer at home the opportunity to gain basic computer …show more content…
At the same time, the professors’ claim “computerization- by automating routine tasks” will reduce the need for workers with low skills and limit the number of jobs available to them. With the wages of highly skilled workers increasing, and the wages of lower-skilled workers decreasing, the gap between the “rich” and the “poor” will grow and statistics prove that the gap has increased since computers have become more depended
In his essay Mobile Phones, Digital Media and America’s Learning Divide, Professor S. Craig Watkins discusses the different ways that digital media affects the learning divide between middle and low-class students and also students of different races, ethnicities and cultures. Watkins’ purpose in writing this essay is to show how mobile phones are closing the learning divide as well as the digital divide. He uses facts and research that he has gathered as a member of the MacArthur Foundation’s research network on Connected Learning to back up his statements and improve his credibility as an author.
After much thought and research, the digital divide is a massive issue not just in Detroit, but across the country and even the globe. It is a problem we may never overcome, but if we all come together and deal with this issue as one, we can see this divide shrink more and more in the future. Detroit is one of the biggest cities most affected by the digital divide. These facts may explain why Detroit has the highest poverty rates in America because internet access has become just as important as any other utility such as water and power. In today’s society, access to the internet is required to accomplish just about anything, whether it is paperwork or educational purposes such as school. Unfortunately, only 62% of Detroit residents have access
This paper is briefing of book called “Race against the Machine” written by Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee. This paper focuses on the impact of technology on the current employment issues. Three explanations of current economic issues that is cyclical, stagnantion and “end of work” is provided (Brynjolfsson & McAfee, 2011). Then the idea of excessive progress in technology making man jobless is presented and to support it various arguments are put forward. Secondly the idea of technology development causing division of labor into high skilled, low skilled, capital, labor, superstars and ordinary labors is presented and explained in detail. Finally remedies for solving these issues are presented and explained. Major takeaways of this paper are mismatch between the productivity and job creation, interlink between Technology improvement and division of labor and importance of education in building stable skilled labors and in the developing a stable society. (Brynjolfsson & McAfee, 2011)
Though being exposed to technologies like computers from an early age may have given us the ability to do things more efficiently, technology has also made us less dependent on ourselves. Claudia Wallis, editor for Time, in her article makes known in The Multitasking Generation, “That level of multiprocessing and interpersonal connectivity is now so commonplace that it’s easy to forget how quickly it came about. Fifteen years ago, most home computers weren’t even linked to the Internet” (63). There are many things that students are able to do on their computer that their parents aren't even aware of or that the parents couldn’t do themselves. My parents always tell of how looking through the library’s card catalog and searching for the books they needed only to find out that they have been taken out. Computers have allowed us to do many things faster for example, write much faster than a typewriter or pen and paper and correct typing errors without starting over. The computers and technology we now have makes it easier to almost anything and with technology so easily at your fingertips it o...
Talukdar, D., & Gauri, D. K. (2011). Home Internet Access and Usage in the USA: Trends in the Socio-Economic Digital Divide. Communications Of The Association For Information Systems, 2885-98.
Digital Divide isn’t just about the access of people to such facilities but also described as the differing levels of IT skills within the society. Digital Divide is often referred back to the haves and have-nots, also known as the rich and the poor. In earlier years, they have been described as the middle and working classes, although these sectors vaguely exist in the society at present. The haves are people who can afford to buy these new technologies such as compute...
Just exactly what is “Digital Divide?” The digital divide refers to the fact that certain parts of the population have significantly better opportunities to benefit from the new economy than other parts of the population. When we discuss the usage of “computing devices”, the internet and the World Wide Web, we do not think about the individuals who lack any of these devices technology has provided the majority of population for everyday use. There is a considerable gap in the number of individuals able to access the internet and gather information, pay bills, socialize, conduct banking needs, and purchases. These are basic functions people use every day that others cannot.
The digital divide is a reality that exists throughout the world. This gap is in reference to race gender, income and many other factors that enable or hinders the use of modern technology. After reviewing different information I will state in my opinion and the pros and cons that governs it. I will also include summarized points, my opinion on suggestion on how to educate the lower income as well as the elder population. “The digital divide separates those who are information rich on one side from those who are poor, who live in an underdeveloped country, or who reside in a rural area with no internet access” (Bowles, M. D.
A new generation is forming the way its members will be written into history books. These are the members of the digital culture, a lifestyle relying on the use of technology and the Internet as a tool of communication and information-sharing. Nevertheless, as with the generations of the past, some individuals are not participating in this new cultural experience. It is common knowledge that some citizens do not use the Internet. Many do not use the Internet simply due to economic or social restrictions that prevent them from easily accessing the technology. However, what is not as common is why some members of our society are even choosing not to use the Internet. “Access, Civic Involvement, and Social Interaction” from the American Behavioral Scientist compare users and nonusers of the Internet across the United States: “8% were dropouts in 1995, 11% in 1996, 10% in 1997, and 11.5% in 2000” (Katz et al., Access 411). http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/~jimkatz/publications.htm No matter how small the statistic is, a choice not to use the Internet must have legitimate reasons and may result in conflicting effects. However, while it shows the amount of never users to be shrinking, the amount of former users is growing, implying that some people are already logging off the Internet while most are logging on. A lack of participation in the digital culture could have an effect on society, including both those who use the Internet, and those who do not. It is possible that either users or nonusers could have an advantage in the end due to their choice. Although the numbers are a minority, the nonusers must be analyzed and predictions need to be made about the reasons and effects of not...
Digital revolution is exponentially accelerating the productivity of various outcomes in the society and also transforming the employment and economy of the world. In recent times, innovation in technology is inadvertently becoming the cause for chronic unemployment which in turn is drastically affecting the median household income. This book discusses such trends and outcomes in general and offers solutions to the problems faced by present and future generation of workers. Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee have discussed effects of machines on wealth distribution, economy and employment in a crisp, strong and insightful way.
The fact that United States is a Capitalist country, positions its people to social stratification. In recent history, the effect of this stratification has noticeably increased as income inequality is at its highest level in 50 years (Macionis 29). Technology may have had an impact on income inequalities as computers and machines have decreased the necessary number of workers for many jobs. Many large corporations have also outsourced jobs to other countries, possibly further compounding the issues of income inequality due to a lack of jobs for the lower and middle classes. This has caused a decrease in producers and an increase in consumers, forming an uneven distribution in society that again lends to the development and m...
Children today are not born with an umbilical cord, but a computer cord. Kids aren’t the way they use to be. How many times have you caught yourself thinking or saying this? Theories today believe that children form these generations are actually different, meaning their brains are different from when we were children. What can we do about it, or should we do anything at all? This paper will examine children today and the difference between the generations. Secondly, due to the difference in generations, the importance of maintaining social interaction, critical thinking and problem solving skills, which, are just as important as technical fluencies for the 21st century. In order to maintain the “humanity” skills, I will discuss the importance of Daily Physical Activity (DPA). Furthermore, the paper will also examine the importance of building a bridge between the digital divide. It is necessary to examine the educational system and the digital divide. Children are engulfed in a digital world and have different experiences and environment. How do we build a bridge between the technical fluencies and the humanity skills necessary to be successful in the 21st century?
The divide as discussed in terms of the United States points out that many jobs in developed nations require computer knowledge. Computers have become rapidly, in historical terms, a vital part of everyday life. “In 1990, 22% of all homes in the United States had a personal computer. This percentage increased to 63% by 2001, and in 2004, nearly 75% of all Americans had Internet access in their homes” (Bowles, 2013). Although this number is high, it indicates that 25% of Americans do not hav...
Andy Carvin states “ internet access in schools isn’t worth a hill of beans if teachers aren’t prepared to take full advantage of technology” (2000). Schools spend a lot of money on computer hardware and software as well as other technologies without realizing that many of their employees are unprepared to include them in their teaching and use them to their advantages. Educators often use technology as a classroom management tool rather than an educational one, allowing computer time as a reward for good behavior (Clark & Gorski, 2001). The problem with this is that students learn to use the computer for games and such because it is their reward instead of using it on their own time for educational purposes. This is teaching them the wrong idea. Margaret Honey, director of the Center for Children and Technology in NYC said it best, “The bottom line is, you don’t just put technology into schools or into homes and expect miracles to happen. The technology is only as good as the program that surrounds it” (Meyer, 2002, p.2).