Essays on Digital Divide

Technology has the ability to change all lives, but only if all people are provided equal access to it. Application of technology is important because advancements provide critical tools for empowerment. These new technologies are useful in the definition of social as well as economic advancements. Technological advancements around the world have developed a unique platform for supporting change and helping people live better lives. However, the extent to which different people have access to technological advancements is significant to the definition of how challenging it is for people to access the same technological advancements, hence the creation of ...

The first article analyzed and discussed is Joseph Baker’s “Courts Should Join Information Age; Using Video and other Technology Would Greatly Benefit the American Justice System”, was originally published in the Orlando Sentinel on December 19, 2004, and is an example of the use of old technology in the American justice system. Baker focuses his intentions of the value of television and the Internet, which has provided the ability to portray events as they happen from anywhere on the planet. It is these forms of media, which have enabled users the ability to see and hear real life ...

Egypt is a North African country with a high population of the Arabs. The main religion of the country is Islam though there are also Christians and other religious groups sparsely spread all over the country. Social inequality in Egypt is one of the worst in the region. As a bigger population of the country struggle to live below a dollar, the cities keep on rising with skyscrapers. The poor-rich gap keeps on widening. Apart from the evident distinct gap between the poor and the rich, gender inequality is on the rise. Women have gained a little recognition in ...

Reflections on How I Became an Entrepreneur

Introduction We live in societies of high unemployment and low real wages and therefore it is inevitable for the economies to increase the demand for labor and create a set of new sources of income. This can be so by encouraging the creation of new firms, thereby generating not only profits for the owners but also new jobs (Bridges, O’Neill, & Cromie, 2013). This is a context that encourages the economy to benefit from the individuals with entrepreneurial abilities to practice such traits and become entrepreneurs. A critical aspect of this process is that the policy option of encouraging ...

Methodology: Results-based Management Framework

BACKGROUND International Telecommunication union (ITU) is a specialized agency of the United Nations for information and communication technologies or ICTs. ITU is responsible for allocation of global radio spectrum and the satellite orbits, development of the technical standards to ensure seamless interconnectivity of the networks and technologies. The origin of ITU dates back to the mid nineteenth century and since then it has been at the centre of the advances in communication. Right from telegraphy in earlier times to satellites, mobile phones and internet in the modern world. It was on May 17, 1865 that the first incarnation of ...

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Introduction

No one could have anticipated the scope of integration and pervasiveness of the internet in contemporary societies. Since its inception, the internet has undergone unprecedented growth in its reach and applications to become a staple in various sectors of the economy. A key technological revolution that accompanied its development was the emergence of social media as a primary platform for communication. Social media refers to web-based tools and services aimed at fostering community development through information sharing (Tarantino, McDonough, & Hua, 2013). They include blogs, wikis, sharing tools, networking platforms, media (e.g. video, audio, photo, and text), ...

IMPACT OF MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES ON SOCIETY

Abstract Media technologies have undergone significant evolution in the past few years involving many new considerations such as Web 3.0., social media, and satellite coverage. Both negative and positive implications of media technologies can be observed on social level. (Artz&Kamalipour, 2007). Therefore, the proposed research will set out to study how these technologies can be used towards the benefit of society by eliminating or avoiding the negatively influential areas. It will extend in several critical dimensions. For example, the purpose of the research is to investigate into different areas wherein different types of technologies are benefitting society. On the ...

Introduction

The paper will focus on examination of the connection between internet and equality. Firstly the reasons for inequality among the developed and developing countries will be examined and statistical data regarding the internet statistics. The research question of the paper is: what effect does the internet have on the inequality? The thesis of the paper is that uneven development of the internet affects the inequality. It is important to research the topic since many researches have so far examined the effect of the inequality on the internet use and access but little has been said about what effect does ...

Introduction

This paper entails an in-depth and critical review of two organizational theory perspectives and how they relate with the contemporary environment within the sphere of information technology. This review and analysis will be undertaken on the basis of the philosophical approaches of ontology and epistemology with the intention of evaluating how these perspectives have contributed to a different understanding and application of information technology within modern-day business organizations and entities. The comparison of the theoretical characteristics of these perspectives with their subsequent practical application within the said organizations will be undertaken in this paper with the intention of determining ...

Broadband Access Disparities

The case for broadband access disparities has been established by a recent, widely accessible report (Council of Economic Advisers). The report emphasizes disparities in broadband access based on different metrics including income, educational attainment, age and geography (urban vs. rural). For current purposes, focus is laid on racial, educational and geographic disparities. For racial disparities, report findings show households of White and Hispanic races are at upper and lowest ranks of Internet access at (56.0% – 77.4%) and (34.3% – 66.7%) over (2001-2013) respectively (Council of Economic Advisers). Blacks, Asians and Native Americans improve from (31.0%; N/A; 38.5%) to (61.3%; 86.6%; ...

In the modern day world, technology has become an important aspect of the daily lives of most people. However, people sometimes fail to have a clear understanding of how technology and especially the use of the internet have influenced their lives. This course has helped me get a better understanding of this issue. The lessons have focused on the issue of the internet, and its historical development over time. Through this, I have learned how trends in internet usage have changed over time. I have also had a better understanding of the concept of the digital divide. In the ...

My fellow colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to speak on an issue that has surfaced, and one that will impact the future of the country and its people. According to Microsoft, our schools have been rated amongst the world’s most advanced users of technology in the classroom. Seven of our schools have been chosen to participate in Microsoft’s 2011 worldwide Innovative Schools Program. This will help teachers and school leaders and administrators to more effectively use technology in learning and teaching. This I think is a great move that ...

Part 1: Introduction

Introduction: The topic of research is "Impact of the digital divide in the present times". In order to research for this topic, the two sets of people who are to be surveyed include those who are tech savvy and those who do not have access to the internet. The reason why the company wants to research this topic is to understand the feasibility of their ecommerce business.

Problem definition:

The digital divide is the main issue faced by the groups of people who do not have an easy access to the digital technologies including the internet. Online commerce helps form a ...

Effective delivery of services today relies on speed and efficiency. Many organizations have embraced the use of Information Communication Technology to achieve efficacy in their service deliveries. State Board of Education has not lagged behind in service delivery through ICT . In a bid to offer excellent services to its stakeholders, the state organ has integrated its system to support automated service delivery. The board enjoys a higher rate of passing information and processing data. In addition, it stores its information in database systems that allow for easy updates, data retrieval and manipulation. However, there are several drawbacks associated with electronic services ( ...

Living in an age where technology governs humans in almost every aspect of life, concern over the gap in internet usage in relation to economic and racial differences have consumed policymakers. This is merely because of the conspicuous digital divide where despite the universal benefit resulting from advancement in technology, there are several sectors that are still at a distance from this blessing. One such example is the public schools which is a place reflecting equality, learning and education without disparity on the basis of sex, race and status. In this regard, in order to serve every student, the government started ...

- Interactive lecturing

A method used to involve each and every student in the class, by giving an engagement trigger the immediately gets the students’ attention towards the task. This is followed by an activity where the student is allowed to practice what was learnt or it gives an idea of the upcoming tasks. For instance using think-pair share to allow students to discuss and then respond accordingly. This way they get help from peers and a bond is developed between the peers and also the students feel more confident with their responses. Hence in this way students and teachers ...

Question one: strategies companies use to compete

Companies use different strategies to compete in the market. Typically companies employ the concept of pricing to position them favourably in the market against their rivals. Pricing involves the use of price discrimination, discounts and lowered price models. Price constitutes one fundamental factor that determines consumer decision making. Consumers would prefer low prices to high prices and would consequently go for lowly priced commodities for satisfaction of their wants and needs. Companies also employ marketing techniques to compete in the market. In marketing, companies offer special rates for commodities give after sale servicing and provide additional material for consumers ...

In 2010, Michael Powell, the former chairman of the U.S. Federal Communication Commission (FCC) wrote an op-ed in which he endorsed a universal “national broadband plan,” to provide high speed internet to all Americans. He argued that it was a question of equality, because high speed internet access was “the great equalizer, leveling the playing field so that every willing and able person, no matter their station in life, has access to the information and tools necessary to achieve the American Dream“ (Powell). Such government funded universal internet already exists in Switzerland, Finland, and Taiwan, and proponents of such programs argue ...

In the article Students Behaving Badly, Richard Flacks seeks to explain the attributes of college and university students today. Their character and mannerisms, he says, are highly influenced by their backgrounds in terms of family, race and education. He made his point of view known from the onset of his findings because he tries to draw comparisons on what happens in college and universities today from what used to happen many decades ago. But then there is a problem with the way he puts forth his findings because the environment in which the studies are done is quite different. The ...

Information Technology

Question one Introduction The digital divide like any other social divide brings with it inequalities that are particularly concerned with access to information. This paper delves into the issues brought about by the inequalities in the digital divide drawing from ideas presented in van Dijk’s book titled ‘The Digital Divide: Inequality in the Information Society.

In his book van Dijk asks five pertinent questions and makes an attempt to answer them in demystifying the relationship between the expanding digital divide and inequalities in the society. First, van Dijk asks whether there exists a problem in the access ...

Education, everyone's innate right, is an essential cornerstone for human development and culture. "The whole world's a classroom," says Jon Spayde (Spayde 65), it means that people perceive as well as receive education and knowledge in whatever we do and wherever we are in this world. Considering the highly technologic nature of the current era and its changes, everything has become lofty and faster and meanwhile people begin to adapt to changes in education to be efficient. Therefore, I want discuss new age education which is filled with technology and digital information. Our education has radically changed from its ...

Introduction to Digital Communication

Introduction to Digital Communication Being the first week of the lecture, this topic remains intriguing to me. There are several concepts and ideas that I remember vividly from this first week topic. First, it is worthwhile to point out that this topic reminds of the fact that the idea of identity is subjective. Everyone has a feeling of how he/she thinks about him/herself. As the lecturer puts it, the concept of identity is multifaceted. There is no clear-cut definition and understanding of personal identity. I can reflect from the topic that identity can be either a personal thing or a group ...

In recent decades globalization transformed the way of interecation between nations, countries, corporations and individuals. It has a great impact on all areas of human life. The progress in informational technology drives globalization and changes the way of doing business all over the World. New business models, new communication patterns and channels, increasing speed of data transmission, active exchange of ideas, information, expertise, goods and services – that’s what happens in the modern World, and that’s how globalization erases the borders between countries. Informational technology in our post-industrial society is a key driver of globalization and a major component of global ...

The Future Information Society: In the future information society, the haves and the have not’s will be defined by whether they have access to a quality Internet connection. Judge the extent to which this is true. Human Computer Interaction has greatly increased in the 21st Century and the ability to access information on computers and over the internet has become quite crucial for people to completely immerse themselves in the socio-economic and political aspects of the world. However, not everyone has access to computers and the internet and this creates the complex phenomenon known as the “digital divide” ( ...

Introduction

Electronic government or as it is popularly known e-government is defined as the use of information technologies such as the Internet, mobile communications, social media, online data analysis and cloud computing to: deliver public services, assist in administration of government operations, provide information and allow the public to interact directly with government organizations and individuals. Through e-government, state authorities can upgrade the quality of services they provide by streamlining the delivery of those services as well as making those services more responsive, efficient, cost-effective, interactive and timely. While a large number of nations have already implemented or begun to develop ...

The widening of digital divide

The development of technology is growing rapidly. The Internet has become the strongest power to change and reshape individuals’ life. However, there are three major variables that may lead the enormous gap of the digital divide between those who regularly have access to the internet and those who do not. The sociological variables associated with the digital divide are education, age and gender. The term digital divide can be understood as referring to a range of different phenomena. On the other hand, it can be understood as referring to the unequal use and access to the internet. On the ...

Introduction

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the social phenomenon that is the widening of the digital divide in Canada. This paper will attempt to define the term digital divide in an effort to offer a proper understanding of the subsequent sections of this paper which form the gist of this paper. Section one of this paper will describe the social issue that is the widening of the digital divide in Canada. This will be followed by a description of three sociological factors that may be propelling this divide. The third section will analyse the consequence of this social phenomenon ...

Medical records play a great part in the entire health sector in terms of provision of data that helps to analyze and assess developments in the sector. In the recent times, there has been observed increase of electronic records across many health facilities not only in the United States, but across many countries in the world. With increased innovations and inventions, many institutions have embraced the use of technology, and health facilities have not been left behind. Electronic medical records have impacted positively in the health sector as it is asserted by many professionals and scholars in the related fields. ...

Impact of Technology on Kids

‘Instructor’s Name’ ‘Subject’ For some years now, questions have been posed regarding the impact of digital technology on the emotional and cognitive development of young children. More recently, these questions, which so far referred only to preschoolers and older kids, have also extended to infants and toddlers because of the extensive digital exposure they are experiencing. Every new technology introduced in the past decade or so has altered the daily routine of the kids and has sparked both excitement and concern among parents and educators. Babies started watching television long before the year 1997, but ...

Digital divide or split is a social concern that refers to the variation in the amount of information between individuals who have access, and capable of using the modern information technology such as the use of the internet, telephone, and television and the ones who do not have access. The term "Digital divide" became widespread among some group of people, including scholars, advocacy groups, and policymakers during the 1990's. According to this essay, there are various causes of the digital divide that need to be addressed. The digital divide is brought about by the variation between individuals living in the ...

At the end of the 20th century, there were profound changes in the American society, characterized by an increasing pressure on the conceptualization of whiteness. There were numerous questions culminating from the events of the 1960s, of Americans from different walks of life. The decade was also characterized by an improvement in the realms of information and technology and increased expressivity of marginalized communities. For example, there was an increased growth of the hip hop culture dislodging the aspect of whiteness from the center of Americans lives. The developments in information and technology brought about the aspect of the ...

The use of technology has brought many benefits to the business world. There are ethical concerns with the use of technology and social networking. One of the aspects that come with social networking and information technology use is that of digital divide. This is an ethical concern because of the fact that those who do not have access to technology could be disadvantaged in circumstances where they are required to use technology. One of the news stories from CNN addresses the issue of the digital divide in India. In the city of Bangladesh, there are many people who access ...

Abstract

The main idea of the paper is based on four different case studies; each case study has its own significance and area of interest. One case study based on medical cure, the second one handles social media and the third one is all about Starbucks management and the forth one deals with Digital divide. We have answered certain questions related to each case study.

Question 1

The basic issue highlighted in the case is related to manual medical record management that is highly problematic and can be replaced by electronic method.

Question 2

The electronic record management is described as the collection of ...

Libraries are currently changing in order to adjust to chancing economic times. Karen Ann Cullotta’s Article “Libraries See Opening as Bookstores Close” centered on changes that were happening in Arlington Heights, Ill. Presumably, the changes seen here are similar to ones that are happening in libraries across the country. Libraries have two competing consideration. They can stock their shelves with books that their in-house curators consider to be works of literary merit, or they can stock them with best sellers like the “Fifty Shades trilogy.” Most libraries, will fall somewhere on a spectrum. It is important to give ...

The issue on digital divide has been confronting educational institutions, policy makers and some advocacy groups. Digital divide or digital split is “a social issue referring to the differing amount of information between those who have access to the Internet (specially broadband access) and those who do not have access”. However, a broader definition is not only limited to the internet but also encompasses access to information and communication technologies and to other forms of media available to society. There are several issues concerning digital divide. Bridging the digital divide is considered important because it represents economic equality. Most community ...

Chapter 1, pg. 36: Are Electronic Medical Records a Cure for Health Care?

The problem described in this case is on medical record keeping due to the increasing number of patients seeking medical services. According to the case, about 12 percent of healthcare spending goes towards record keeping (Laudon & Laudon, 2012). Traditionally, medical records have been kept in files and folders, which make it difficult for healthcare professionals to access and share information. This problem can be solved by adopting electronic medical systems.

What people, organization, and technology factors are responsible for the difficulties in building electronic medical record systems? Explain your answer.

The application and use of electronic medical records is compelling because they can make healthcare less expensive, efficient, and improve the quality of care by enabling easy access and ...

Article Critique: Digital Government and the Digital Divide by Richard Groper

Introduction The article subject of this critique is entitled “Digital Government and the Digital Divide”, written by Professor Richard Groper of California State University (CSU) in Fullerton, California, United States (US), and published as a chapter of a book entitled “Digital Government: Principles and Best Practices” edited by Alexei Pavlichev and G. David Garson. The book serves as a compilation of articles on e-governance, with most being in the form of research endeavors on certain questions on the subject matter and case studies that sought to resolve relevant controversies. Groper, for his article, has posited his thesis on questioning race as a ...

A digital divide can be termed as a form of inequality that comes about between groups this may be groups that have been seen as underdeveloped or not developing. The digital divide is strictly adhered to the disparity arising from the use as well as access to information technology as well as knowledge based on ICT. The digital divide may vary from area to area or as with the current trends on a global extent that may arise the Global Digital Divide. The digital divide does exist due to various reasons that are mainly economic dependent this may be due ...

Differing access to resources outside of school has long been a major problem in education. Children who have access to books in the home tend to have higher learning outcomes than children who do not, for example. In our digital age, this problem is spreading. Children who do not have access to a computer or the Internet at home face increasing challenges in school, and will likely lag behind in learning the kinds of technological skills which the coming generation will need to function in the workplace in our increasingly digital age. As more and more schools expect children to ...

Article review

This article review provides a comprehensive description of the author’s strengths and weaknesses in various aspects of scholarly writing. The author opened the paragraph with a clear and simple statement that is instrumental in introducing the subject matter. However, he fails to offer a captivating introduction to the statement in the sentences that follow. Moreover, the adoption of titles that cannot be justified for the personal computer fails the threshold required for scholarly writing. The opinion of the writer is lumped into a general statement. This makes it hard for the leader to decipher the intricate details of the paragraph. The quality ...

The article reviewed aims at providing policy initiatives to increase the understanding of the digital divide within the Canadian context (Shade, 2002). The paper starts by explaining digital divide as the gap between individuals that can access the internet and those who cannot. The article examines what gets meant by internet access by using the “access rainbow”. The “access rainbow” refers to a social technical model that got developed by Shade and Clement (Shade, 2002). The model provides socio-technical architecture for discussion and analysis of access to the internet. The article describes the various dimensions that portray the digital ...

Importance of Improving the Digital Divide between all Countries

The Gap between people, businesses and households who have direct access to digitized technology at home or at any given time and those who do not have, has brought about the digital divide in the global ring. There is no uniformity on how people utilise the Internet for its vast opportunities like acquiring knowledge, trading and social relations among other benefits. Diverse dissimilarities are replicated within and among nations. The capability of individuals, institutions and businesses in taking advantage of the Internet differ extensively across the globe.

Conversely, accessing the essential communication infrastructures is fundamental to any contemplation ...

Question 1

What is the “Digital Divide”?

Answer

Digital divide is a term used to describe inequalities between people, in terms of access to, use of, or knowledge of information and communication technologies (Wikipedia 2011). In other words, digital divide describes the discrepancy between groups having access to technology and those who do not have.

Question 2

How has work been transformed in the computer age?

Answer

Advent of computer age is both, a boon and a bane. It is a boon because it reduces a lot of human effort. It makes it easier to handle, store and retrieve data. It is a bane ...

It’s ironic how for more than a century, “the United States led the world in equipping its young people with the education they would need to succeed” (Harvard Graduate School of Education, 2011, p. 1), and yet, by the end of the 21st century’s first decade, signs show that the US is failing to provide for the education of its youth. The US is now lagging behind other nations in terms of educational attainment and achievement. When compared with other wealthy countries, the United States falls behind when it comes to the rate of high-level literacy (Holland, ...

Wireless technology in America

Wireless technology is a technology that is employed in transfer of information from one point to another that are not physically connected (Powell and Shim 71). Distance of separation varies from short range like for television remote control to long range distances like the case for deep-space radio exchanges. It covers cellular phones, fixed mobile and portable two-way radios, PDAs and wireless networking. GPS units, garage door openers, wireless computer mice, headphones, satellite television, broadcast TV and cordless phones.

A portion of America’s population is still living on the left side (not connected) of the digital divide and the ...