There can be a number of things that can go wrong if you try to be tech savvy in today’s time. There are so many things to learn that, at times, things can become overwhelming. So, it is necessary that we have the required options to make the scenario comfortable for all the users. Here, user can be anyone, who may or may not have the technical expertise. This technical know how gap can be called as a digital divide.
A digital divide can be a result of several reasons, which can themselves arise from multiple shortcomings. One of the most prominent one can be the negligence of the government in taking care that digital facilities have the necessary backing. It means that there may be situations in which the services are not reaching the general people. This can often be an outcome of several things.
Reasons for the Digital Divide
As new technology is getting implemented, the demand for the latest and greatest is also increasing. People want to use the best and stay ahead of the curev. It makes the market competitive as there is high demsnd to meet the requirements and ex[ectations of the educated part of the society. This leaves less room for thinking about the less previliged or less educated section of the society.
The lack of support for the local languages is another reason. There are several services that do not havae the support fot the local languages. The applications that are offered by international companies often lack this feature. As a result, several applications do not get the attention that they deserve.
Digital exposure often involves the basic knowledge of the tech world. This is only possible if you are from the new generation. However, in the older generation, thi is a negative point. They do not have the experience in terms of technical advancement. As time passes, they are not able to cope up with the constantly changing enviroment of technical field. New things keep on arriving in the picture and older generation finds it difficult to deal with them.
Not much content is made online by keeping the older generation in mind. It create smore issues as many people are not able to get the required parctice on how to use the latest in tech.
The latest devices themselves have become more complicated. It reduces the appeal to senior citizens who are used to simple form o ftech likw a simple landline device. The lack of physical buttons also makes the older genartion sceptical. They hessitate while uing the new and modern brick. Ultimtely, they give iup and settle down for less.
As time passes, kids grow up and adults grow old. As new generation gets to work, older generations becomes lonely and has no one to tell them about the latest tech. AS a result, it creates a bigger gap between generations.
As a result, there is a gap between the people who want to learn and who actually get the opportunity to experience.
Affected Sections of the Society
There are numerous people who get affected due to the digital divide. Some of them can be listed as follows:
Rural population
Uneducated section
People affected by gender bias
Senior citizens
Specially abled people
Causes of Digital Divide
There are multiple reasons, due to which digital divide can happen. Firstly, there can be lack of infrastructure. It can be a great barrier of internet speed and access to the digital services that are currently available.
The next reason for the divide is the focus on urban areas for the latest services. It is basically the higher number of users that attracts the companies to the urban areas. The high consumption of data in the cities due to the several offices and residents makes the situation more lucrative.
The next big reason is the difference in the level of education that the two different strata of the society have. The two stratas are urban and rural. The people in the rural landscape are inferior in exposure to the flashy lifestyle and fast technical environment. On the other hand, the less exposure to the technical education in a rural environment makes the situation worse.
There is also a factor of gender bias. At times, the female population is denied the experience of higher education. Sometimes, they are not even given access to phones and other tech in some corners of the world. This creates a gap between the digital services and people.
The next reason is the age related scenario. Old age can be painful and problematic in several ways. Senior citizens often need assistance in several cases. As a result, they may face difficulty in doing tasks related to latest technology like using smartphones and tablets.
Then, there is lack of training centers in rural areas to makes the approach easier. So, in case of rural areas, the exposure remains limited. Thus, the people in rural areas do not have much experience in technical skill. This lack of awareness of the different technologies makes the situation worse.
Lastly, the lack of accessibility options in digital products is also a point of worry. It restricts the specially abled people from getting a taste of the tech space.
Solutions for the issues
There are numerous issues that needs addressal. Firstly, we need to ensure that the rural population gets the infrastructure that they require for the better network access.
Secondly, having better educational facilities will also make the situation better. It will allow the rural population to get an idea of the technological advancement.
Thirdly, people need to remove gender bias. It will allow every individual to get a hold of the digital facilities that government allows for every individual.
Next option, there needs to be more emphasis on the training centers. This will allow even the rural residents to know about the new and the latest tech. Additionally, the digital services will ensure that people get to learn about things that can be done from the comfort of digital screens.
Having accessibility option in digital space is necessary. It allows the specially challenged to get access to products and services that can make life easier.
Consequences of Digital Divide
Limited access to digital services
The biggest consequence of digital divide is the lack of access to digital services. As a result, several people remain devoid of the advantages that they may get due to government services.
Lack of awareness
Lack of awareness becomes another consequence. This makes people think multiple time before going for a digital service option. It is because they are not exposed to the new digital space, and rely solely on the traditional methods of services.
Lack of progress for the backward classes
Lack of exposure to digital services also creates a sense of inferiority among several individuals. These are those individuals, who belong to the backward classes and live in rural areas of a country.
Lack of opportunities
The lack of exposure to the backward classes also creates a lack of opportunities among the rural population. If any youngster does not get the option to get the digital services, then it will be bad for his career growth.
Disparity for the specially-abled
Specially abled can feel left out in the society. Due to the lack of accessibility features, digital space can become a hurdle for such people.
Benefits of world without Digital Divide
If we spend more time with our elders, then their technical issues can be resolved. At times, we can try to diminish their discomfort in using latest devices like smart phones. This will allow more exposure to information and knowledge that internet offers.
Additionally, they will also get to take care of their health in a better way. Now, we have smart watches that can monitor health issues. In case of emergency, they will also be able to contact the concerned people more easily.
There will also be more opportunities for the younger people in every field and corner of the world. They will also be able to learn latest skills and climb higher in their career.
Specially abled people will get to feel new experiences. They will feel less left out and will like to join the common bandwagon of progress.
Every man and woman will have the chance to learn and express their thoughts. This way we may get better professionals in various fields. It is because communication helps in better job opportunities.
Conclusion
The digital divide can be a great barrier for many reasons. It can be a gap between generations and their communication. As a result, this needs to stop as early as possible. We, being the current working generation, we need to assure that the older generation gets the comfort and the assistance in using digital services. We must also ensure that the specially-abled get the assistance, which they need in accessing the digital space. It is substantial for companies to understand the significance of accessibility. We should allow everyone the basic right to education and must provide proper training for the digital space. In the end, careful planning and execution will help in reducing the digital divide.
By: Raunak Jha
Write and Win: Participate in Creative writing Contest & International Essay Contest and win fabulous prizes.
About the Author
