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The Digital Divide: Why Does It Exist and How Can Classrooms Tackle It?
by Mary Zimmerle

A report released earlier this year by the Department of Commerce, entitled A Nation Online: How Americans Are Expanding Their Use of the Internet, states that access to technology has reached its highest levels in the United States. While this news is welcomed, it does not erase the fact that a wide gap exists between those who have such access and those who do not. This digital divide must be addressed in our schools and communities to ensure that children and adults of all socio-economic levels, individuals with disabilities and people of other minority or underprivileged backgrounds have access to leading technology and possess the skills and knowledge to effectively use it. Individuals who are in what is referred to as the "digital divide" are at a significant disadvantage in school and have little access to skills that have become secondhand in the workplace. As a result, they are less likely to succeed in the current job market.

Multiple factors have contributed to the existence of the digital divide, many of which are based upon economic disparities within society. The United States Department of Commerce found in 2000 that “White (46.1%) and Asian American & Pacific Islander (56.8%) households continued to have Internet access at levels more than double those of Black (23.5%) and Hispanic (23.6%) households” and that “86.3% of households earning $75,000 and above per year had Internet access compared to 12.7% of households earning less than $15,000 per year” (Digital Divide Network Basic Facts Sheet). While percentages for all ethnic groups have risen between then and now,--White and Asian American to 68%, Black to 30% and Hispanics to 32%--the gap still exists and is widening. If the digital divide is not addressed, bridged and eliminated, these disparities will grow wider, create deeper rifts that span into all social sectors, and generate further tensions among these groups.

Because of the complexity of the divide, it must be confronted on a variety of levels. Access to computers does little good for low-income individuals who do not know how to use common software, email or the Internet. While providing access to equipment is valuable, training and incentives to learn the technology are more important and essential. Without this training experience, these individuals have little reason, will or ability to use the available facilities. Thus, it is especially important for community technology centers to supply these vital training services to the community.

It is also important to consider the information that is and is not available on the Internet. Many low-income individuals who are new to surfing the Internet encounter the following integral and substantial problems: using search engines requires a knowledge of what kind of information needs to be entered to find the correct information (especially with the estimated 500 billion websites that now exist); websites that contain the information that low-income residents would like to find, such as entry-level job postings, apartment searches, local events, educational opportunities, places of worship and community services and activities are either hard to find or non-existent; websites that can be read and understood by people with low levels of literacy and website content written in multiple languages are also rare and difficult to locate. These types of problems often make using the Internet daunting or simply undesirable to many who are new to technology, therefore exacerbating the problem.

Fortunately, service-learning projects can contribute to the resolution of these problems. Since October is Computer Learning Month, this is a perfect time to begin such a project. Students who have experience with computers or computer programs can offer their time and talents to community members who do not have this experience. By creating pamphlets that explain the basics of certain programs that are easy to understand, students can guide people who are new to computers. Students could also serve as tutors in community computer classes offered to community members who want to learn different software or how to surf the Internet. They can also do a community needs assessment about what kinds of information community members would like to see on the web. From that information, students can create webpages to fulfill those needs and teach community members how to maintain the webpages so that they continue to include information that is important to their community. Those on the “have-not” side of the divide will then have more incentive to learn these technological skills, and the gap can be narrowed.

Students can also examine issues of accessibility and how they contribute to the digital divide. Have them consider all of the different disabilities that may hinder one’s ability to use the Internet or other software. They can then brainstorm about ways to solve these problems, study websites that are accessible and possibly serve those who are disabled in their community in the computer lab.

If your students are on the “have not” side of the digital divide, they can still serve their community. Since children tend to quickly and easily learn new abilities such as computer skills, a few weeks in the computer lab can teach them enough skills to pass on to the community. For any of these projects, reflection exercises about the divide are necessary for success. Overall, make sure that your students understand why the digital divide exists, why it needs to be resolved and how they can be a positive factor in its resolution.

For a comprehensive and up-to-date website, visit the Digital Divide Network:
http://www.digitaldividenetwork.org/.

Digital divide basic fact sheet and statistics:
http://www.digitaldividenetwork.org/content/stories/index.cfm?key=168

Federal funding and statistics:
http://www.digitaldividenetwork.org/content/stories/index.cfm?key=248

For a more detailed discussion of the needs of low-income communities regarding the Internet:
http://www.digitaldividenetwork.org/content/stories/index.cfm?key=14

Nation Online: How Americans Are Expanding Their Use Of The Internet
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/dn/

Report responding to Nation Online from the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund and the Benton Foundation Digital Divide report:
http://www.civilrights.org/publications/bringinganationonline/

Another digital divide curriculum idea:
http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/lessons/digitaldivide/b.html