Digital Divide and Social Impact - Assignment Example

Digital Divide Name: Student Number: Course Title: Lecturer: Date: Digital divide Digital divide is the disparity on how each social group acquires or gets access to digital technologies (Duggan, 2008). The way a given social group gets digital technology differs greatly basing on the haves and the have not; but according to some scholars, digital divide is dictated by the extent to which a given social group get access to information technology. The difference in the availability and accessibility of digital technology is defined by the challenges that are posed by the physical factors such as computer availability and connections. It is through digital divide that countries have been challenged in that they are looking on ways to reduce this issue of digital divide both internally and externally. Developing countries should use technology in an effective way to benefit from them rather than being dependent on developed countries. It is through numerous researches that digital divide has been realized to be influence by the national income of a particular country. A forecast made from this assumption indicates that digital divide is least expected to narrow it gap. Article one For over two decades now, since the development of information and communication technologies, it is quite absurd to find that ICT has not yet achieved what was initially geared to. Those that are less fortunate or isolated do not get access to Internet services. It was expected that technology will ease economic, political and social imbalances which to date has not yet been met. A gap has been created between the rich, the poor, developed, and the developing countries. Population, infrastructure, policies and prices broadly influence computer and Internet diffusion. In that, the set policies can push forward society into investing in ICT thus kicking off a focused education in technology. Global digital divide is measured in two dimensions: Digital Opportunity Index, which has eleven ICT indicators clustered into three broad groups, that is infrastructure, utilization and opportunity. This kind of measure assesses the extent to which telecommunication services are available in the selected 181 countries. The second model being ICT Development Index (IDI) is not widely used because it is based on the level of education and literacy of individuals. By using both models, it will clearly highlight the independent variable to aid in outlining digital divide. According to researches that have been carried out, four variables that are attached to policies and five variables connected with digital opportunity and ICT development were found. Countries which have capitalized on education and equipped with adequate resources will be in a safe position as far as development of technology is concerned. In addition, affluent population has a positive impact towards the development of digital services. It is obvious that when a country invests mostly on education, advanced ICT will be demanded. In this regard therefore, technology will be made available to the audience. In a case where a country embraces freedom in its political structure, policies will be formulated in favor of technological development. The likelihood of Internet usage is because of employing on a culture that favors political expression and improving communications. It is therefore the existence of freedom and a peaceful political structure that technological development is attained. The success of a country in terms of ICT is determined by the formation of an independent regulatory authority established to be in charge of information and communication technologies development. The body is actually meant to promote and improve ICT in that particular country. The body through the DOI model is expected to improve ICT infrastructure, opportunity and utilization afterwards improve its accessibility and usage of ICT. For a product to be fully developed in a given country, there competition should exist. This applies to the Telecommunication services, in a scenario where competition is the order of the day, ICT development will be easily achieved only if the country in subject promotes competition in the development of ICT. Another approach is situation where a country grants the marketplace to control the competition. Through competition, a country increases its ICT opportunity, infrastructure and utilization in mobile telecommunication services. Accessibility and usage of ICT is increased only if it is put in place. Information technology and Telecommunication sector has improved due to the fact that both public and private firms have contributed into the development of technology by financing towards technological infrastructure and structural resources. In spend also in this industry is another way of ICT promotion. Infrastructure, opportunity and utilization in improved in the ICT when financial investment is high. This also applies when a country invest more on ICT sector thus increasing its accessibility and the mode of usage. A research that was done outlined a number of items that are considered when dealing with financial commitments in coming up with ICT. Some of these include revenues from telecommunication presented as percentage of the GDP, investment extracted from telecommunication which is calculated as a percentage of the total revenue, spending of both research and ICT development and appears as a percentage of the total GDP. Expenses incurred in the process of ICT development are calculated under GDP. Items such as computers and their related services get involved in the development of ICT and are included in the service export as a percentage. High technology exports are calculated as a percentage of manufacturing exports. Lastly, natural log of international Internet bandwidth, which calculated as pits per second per person. Digital divide being area of concern, developing countries should consider the factor that been mentioned earlier to as to narrow it. Such issues as financial investment, competition, regulatory authority and resources and education can a country good in trends of ICT development economically. Article Two This article focuses on the effectiveness of digital investment as a framework. It highlights a number of theories that are employed in information system that best handles digital divide. They include; institutional theory, innovative diffusion and management of knowledge which leads to a five-step approach; acquiring knowledge on the availability and importance of technologies in respect to the economy or an organization, creating access to opportunities, adopting and usage, creating new products and services within ICT and finally enjoying potentials and capabilities by sharing in a favorable environment. A framework has been established to keep a focus on improving digital effectiveness other than narrowing the gap of digital divide. In achieving this goal, high levels of capabilities should be identified, not the have, or the have-nots, and less considering the relative position of a country. Decisions made by an institution greatly influenced by coercive, normative or mimetic mechanisms as per the institutional perspective. The pressure caused by both internal and external environmental factors has greatly influenced the development of ICT infrastructure. Digital divide do exist in a country when faced with social, political, economic policies that are review with time. Diffusion of innovation evolves with time. Developing countries tend to settle other issues and after sometime will handle ICT as they move forward. Challenges such as technical compatibility and complexity, and relative advantage tend to hinder the narrowing of digital divide in that high level of development and investment and investing on ICT will mean higher output to developing nations, which has not yielded much in developing countries. A regulation that govern the development of ICT, technological issues and the type of political structure that has been put in place also influences a country in the way they react or adopt ICT. This clearly identifies through the institutional theory how organizations, groups and industries get to interact with one another and how their behaviors are influenced by technology, politics and regulations of ICT. Through management of knowledge, a country must have a technical expertise on ICT to develop it. Before a decision is made concerning technology one has to first gain knowledge on that particular field. In order to narrow the technological gap of digital divide, the government should come in and ensure that they get knowledge and competence on technology which is categorized under knowledge management approach to give them confidence that they really need. Knowledge attainment can vary from organizational to regional and global communities based on their culture that support learning. In any process that is undertaken in ICT, development knowledge is quite important. A number of stages should be followed in technology development before its maturity is fully achieved. In order to attain the capabilities of ICT and harness positive social economic benefits, knowledge management, institutionalism and adoption of technology must be first put in place. Management of knowledge is important at any level as it aids in coming up with policies that will aid in effective accessibility and technology exploitation is majorly important in a developing economy. An environment that supports learning and ICT knowledge sharing will greatly influence technological effectiveness. From an institutional point of view, national culture and organizational influence emanating from other countries may influence a given country thus improving the speed at which technology is penetrating to and developing to innovators and adopters (Yates, & Gulati, 2010). Basing on legislature, they instill the regulations that may influence behavior into adoption of ICT. With its support, provision of rules and guidelines that are concerned with copyrights and information security will enhance innovation and development of ICT. Evaluation The extent to which ICT is rated in terms of performance will have a positive impact towards its development. In addition, culture that support ICT development will lead into the improvement of ICT. Researches has been done concerning digital divide; to-date, many frameworks and models has been brought about in the process of finding tangible solutions to this phenomenon, dimensions that are related to these researches are to be expanded so as to come with a solid framework on the best dimensions to solve it. From a global point of view, goals attainment are hindered by the fact that there is difference in the way various countries get access to internet and other related services. This mostly happen in developing countries. The process of ICT development is under a number of processes; ICT awareness, innovation diffusion, adoption and innovation. Bibliography Duggan, E 2008, Rethinking the Digital Divide: Towards a Path of Digital effectiveness, University of the West Indies, Kingston. Yates, D J, & Gulati, G 2010, Explaining the Global Divide: The Impact of Public Policy Initiatives on Digital Opportunity and ICT Development, Waltham, Massachusetts. Read More