Digital Access Divide

Digital Access Divide

Technology is a vital part of education and the workforce. The digital divide is putting some students at risk for lacking vital vocational and educational skills. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration states that currently about half of Americans are online (ClickZ, 2002). According to a report from the New York Times (2003), United States President, George W. Bush seemed to be satisfied with this number. He tried to eliminate the technology access programs that were initiated in the Clinton Administration for the purpose of bridging the digital divide. His cuts eliminated over 50 million dollars. Fortunately, as a result of several passionate coalitions, Congress has given $50 million back to the funds (Feeder, 2003). However, there is still a digital divide, and it is putting students at risk. According to the educational testing service, which is the world’s largest private educational measurement organization and a leader in educational research (Landgraf, Statistics Section, para. 5); “ ‘49 percent of Caucasian children use the Internet at home, compared to only 29 percent of African-American children, and 33 percent of Hispanic children’, ‘children from high-income families are more than twice as likely to have home Internet access (66%) than children from low-income households (29%)’ and ‘despite strong growth in school access from 2000 to 2002 for low-income children (20 to 32 percent), their current school use still significantly lags behind high-income children (47 percent)’ (Landgraf, Statistics Section, para. 5). The fact that so many children are not accessing technology is not just a present problem for them, it is creating future problems by putting them at risk for lacking vital educational and vocational skills.

Consequences of the Divide: Importance of computer technology in Higher Education

Digital information technologies such as the use of computers and the internet are an integral part of higher education. Jane Doe’s story located at the beginning of this report serves as an example of this. Jane’s problem is not biology; the problem is her ignorance in digital information and instructional technologies. This is not her fault; the area she came from has been affected by the digital divide. In college, students need to have computer literacy and digital technology knowledge. If a student, such as Jane, comes from an ill-equipped school district or low income home, where they can not afford a computer or are ignorant about digital technologies, these students are at an incredible disadvantage.