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Unit-3-The-digital-Divides.pdf
Global Society

1º Global Society

Grado en Global Studies

Facultad de Derecho
Universidad de Salamanca

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UNIT 2B- THE DIGITAL DIVIDES.

ABOUT THE DIGITAL DIVIDE

 Is internet part of everybody’s daily life? Are internet uses equally distributed among
population, including the most beneficial ones? These differences create gaps and
inequality in real life.
 The Digital Divide is defined as the “technological gap between those who have access to
information (internet) and those who do not have it”.

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 Probably in 30 years when the oldest population passes away there will be a rate of full
access to the internet among population of Spain.

 Regarding educational attainment level, the fact that low-educated people have less
access to the internet creates further inequalities.
 Digital segregation: it is also geographically distributed; northern and western countries
have a higher percentage of internet users than southern, developing countries.
o Through a global perspective, Asia and Africa seem to have good rates
o Looking at the penetration rate, connected population is higher in western and
developed countries.

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o In this western countries the digital divide is about to disappear; the differences
between countries are decreasing. Academics assume the concept of digital divide
doesn’t apply anymore in western countries.

OTHER FORMS OF DIGITAL EXCLUSION. DiMaggio and Hargittai (2001)

 The digital inequality phenomenon: an unequal distribution between Internet users in

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respect to the benefit they derive from their use of the internet. To understand this
process, it is important to take into account that not all of the Internet’s uses are the
same: only some provide a real benefit to everyday life of Internet users.
 In the words of Gurnstein, effective use of the internet is “the capacity and opportunity to
successfully integrate ICTs into the accomplishment of self or collaboratively indentified
goals” (2003).
 How are these differences generated? Studies on how different social groups use
technologies and how this access contributes to offline advantages and disadvantages
(Chen, 2013).
o The normalization hypothesis: technology is going to be cheaper so in the future
people with fewer resources will be able to buy it  the difference between
people with material resources and the one with fewer resources will be smaller.
Truth: Older technology gets cheaper but the newer applications and technologies
can only be used with the newest devices. People with fewer resources are still
unable to buy the newest tech.
o The stratification hypothesis: Two important mechanisms behind:
 Amplification: the internet tends to reinforce inequalities. If there is a gap
between rich and poor, internet and new tech amplify this gap.
Polarization of population and of their uses of internet. Newest tech and
lots of uses vs. people with old tech and little uses.
 The power of law.
 According to Hargittai and Hinnant, people with more technological skills are more likely to
attain benefit from the use of internet.
 The unequal distribution of digital skills among internet users is called “second level of
digital divide”:
o Younger users have higher level of digital skills while older people have lower skills
o People with high level of economical resources vs. people with lower level
o People with higher level of education vs. lower education
 Capital enhancing uses of the web: activities that lead to higher levels of political
information; help with one’s career advancement, financial and educational services…
Uses of internet that bring a benefit in our daily life.

Summary of digital inequality:

 Some activities are nearly universal and some other are less widespread across all users.
 The opportunity to connect from everywhere gives autonomy to use new technology.
 People with high education and resources are more likely to give capital enhancing users
to internet, while lower education users are more likely to use internet for gambling,
gaming and entertainment.
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 People having access to technology don’t imply they are using it in the same way and
taking the same advantage of its use.
 Two kind of beneficial uses of the internet: e-commerce and political uses
o Digital Political Participation: political practices carried out by citizens via the
Internet
 The defense of political and social rights in relation to public
administration or enterprises, together with the carrying out of
administrative or bureaucratic procedures.
 The ones with an offline equivalent.
 Political interaction among citizens and between citizens and
representatives (organizing demonstrations, writing to a senator, etc)
o E-commerce: facilitates obtaining goods that are not available nearby.
o If only few people adopt this uses there is a problem in terms of democratic

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divide.
o Economic and educational resources result in an enhancement of digital skills and
that creates the opportunity to participate in e-government and e-commerce.

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