The Digital Divide is a Myth

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The Digital Divide is a Myth

It seems only yesterday that computers were luxury items. Today, nearly everyone views them as a necessity of life. This changing viewpoint towards technology is creating battle lines in governmental and private agencies everywhere. Research indicates a serious problem, called the “digital divide,” runs rampant among the American population. Some studies even predict doom and gloom will befall us unless the government intervenes. No hidden Armageddon exists inside this problem, and no money wasting policies are needed. The true nature of the info-chasm is simply a matter of personal choice based on a mixture of income, cultural background, and the interest level of the individual, commonly referred to as the natural human condition.

Some researchers would like you to believe American firms are on the brink of being economically unstable because segments of our population lack Internet access and computer skills. Thomas P. Novak and Donna L. Hoffman, associate professors at Vanderbilt University, suggest economic Armageddon is right around the corner. They claim, “only 5.2 million African-Americans have ever used the Web compared to 40.8 million Caucasians, and the Internet may provide equal opportunity only for those population segments with access” (Novak and Hoffman). A few American businesses have joined the cause screaming the sky is falling because people are not using computers in abundance.

Technological industries helped to create the problem by following a concept known as Moore’s Law, which states that new technology will be developed and dumped on the public every eighteen to twenty-four months (Kurzweil). Reports about how many high tech jobs are being left unfilled assault the...

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...com/.

Novak, Thomas P., and Donna L. Hoffman. “Bridging the Digital Divide: The Impact of Race on Computer Access and Internet Use.” Science. 17 April 1998. Elab Manuscripts Ecommerce Research Center Online. 2 February 1998. Vanderbilt University. Nashville, TN. 21 March 2001. http://ecommerce.vanderbilt.edu/papers/race/science.html.

Robinson, Emily. “Orange County Needn’t Be a House Digitally Divided; A New Program Will Expand Latinos’ Access to Computers and the Internet, But More Work Remains to Be Done.” Los Angeles Times Orange County Edition. 28 January 2001. BigChalk.com. 2000. Education America Academic ASP. Education America. Little Rock, AR. 21 March 2001. http://www.elibrary.com/.

U. S. Department of Commerce. “Falling Through The Net: Toward Digital Inclusion.” October 2000. 19 March 2001. http://www.nitia.doc.gov/ntiahome/fttn00/Falling.htm.

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