The Digital Divide ( Where We Are )

"The digital divide is most commonly defiined as the gap between those individiuals and communities that have, and do not have access to the information technologies that are transforming our lives." (Dickard , Schneider, 2002) The divide itself covers two types of people in this era of the digital age and these two are Digital Immigrant and Digital Native.
Personally I relate more to the Digital Native as I grew up with technology surrounding me such as Computers, Mobile Phones, Television and various others things and even to this day I still am surrounded by similar, more updated technology such as HD Television, the Playstation 3, the Internet, the Android Tablet and so on.

Figures from a census called "A Nation Online" in 2002 stated that "143 million Americans, or about 54 percent of the population are using the Internet." So ten years ago the Internet consumed over half the lives of people living in America and since then has risen. It was estimated that there was"2 million new Internet users per month"overall showing growth in bridging the gap between the two groups of digital users and non digital users. However due to this growing figure of Internet users it was said that "The rationale is that Americans are gaining access to computers at an acceptable pace and as a result the role of government can be curtailed." This is saying that as more people use the Internet the role of help and control is being reduced and is deminishing."

In general the Internet has had a profound and positive effect on not only America but the world over the last ten years or so,  Online distribution has not always been a positive experience this became clear on 11th September 2001 as a tragedy struck America as two planes crashed into the World Trade Centre in New York. This may have been a pivotal reason as to why the Internet became popular as a worldwide media as people were filming and uploading videos of the crash from their mobile phones and video cameras. I watched a documentary online about 9/11 and how "the footage from more than 100 different eyewitnesses" (0.00.11) was used to tell the story of true events. This has become a key of using visual evidence that has connected millions of people all over the world through the online distribution of media. The reactions to the destruction such as "OH MY GOD!" and " We've got to get out of here!" capture the essence of the situation and it's reality and if it was not shown or recorded visually I believe it would have weakend the impact of those people.

Back in 2002 Some people such as Arrison who at the time was director for the Center for Technology Studies at the Pacific Research Institute spoke out against the divide stating that "the digital divide is not a crisis that places citizens in urgent need of more government help." Arrison also said that we have a "Mercedes Divide" saying that "many of the Internet's so called 'have-nots' are really 'want-nots.'" Overall the digital divide is seemingly based on choice as to whether you wish to be involved within the current era or dwindle into the past.

References:

Dickard, N and Scheider, D (2002) The Digital Divide: Where We Are A status report on the digital divide from 2002
http://www.edutopia.org/digital-divide-where-we-are-today
Date Accessed: 27/11/12
Arrison, S (2002) The Digital Divide: Where We Are A status report on the digital divide from 2002


TDPUK (2011) 102 Minutes That Changed America - 9/11 September 11th - [ Full Documentary ] (2001)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8ZmMtXQ3gM
Date Accessed: 27/11/12