1 Societal Issues

1.1 Definitions

A societal issue is a claim that there is a social condition, set of events, or behavior that may harm some people or everyone in society. These events become societal issues when sufficient amounts of people in society believe that this behavior warrants change. [3]

1.2 Divisions in Society

Societal issues can occur when there is a digital divide globally and within the United States. Digital division is when there is a gap between people who can effectively utilize and access digital technology, and people who have little to no access to digital technology. Digital division can occur in geographical locations, through education, within income levels, and people with or without mobile devices. [2]

1.3 Digital Issues in America

A recent survey showed that 15% of Americans do not use the Internet. Within that sample, reasons for not using the Internet included such reasons as it being a waste of time, fear of hackers and spam, services are too expensive, and lack of relevance to the individual. [1] As of 2013, only 40% of the world had Internet access, leaving millions in the word Internet free. [4]

2 Those With and Without Mobile Devices

2.1 Advantages of Being Mobile

The Pew Research Center believes that the mobile phone industry has done quite a bit to assuage the ever-present digital divide. A mobile phone can be a cheaper, more convenient way to access the Internet when compared to a traditional computer or broadband connection. A study conducted by the Pew Research Center showed that smartphones are being used by demographics less likely to have traditional Internet access.

2.2 To Have or Not to Have

Younger smartphone owners, minorities, those with lower income levels, and less educated respondents are “more likely than other groups to say that their phone is their main source of Internet access." [6] The study also showed that 88% of adults own a mobile phone compared to just 57% who own a laptop and 19% who own a tablet. [6] The digital divide is much more prevalent when it comes to laptops and tablets.

2.3 Bridging the Gap

This same phenomenon has the potential to bridge the digital divide in the developing world. According to the International Telecom Union, 89% of the population in the developing world has cell phone access. [5] There are many impressive illustrations of this statistic such as the fact that there are more mobile phones than toilets in India, and that there are more mobile phones than light bulbs in Uganda. However, these devices are having difficulty penetrating the population, which continues to perpetuate the digital divide. In both the developed and developing worlds, mobile phones alone are not a solution to any problem, but rather a tool that can be used in the solution. [7]

3 Income Level

3.1 Privileges and Limitations

The ability to communicate with the world through emerging technologies has become imperative as the demand for economic, political, and social awareness continues to grow. Among the realities that hinder such knowledge, income is a major factor that limits access to the information and the opportunities that economic, political and social awareness make available to us. Understanding the relationship between opportunity, knowledge, and income is important in understanding the role that economic access to technology plays in the digital divide.

3.2 Those affected

The digital divide signifies the growing gap between “those who are online and those who are not”. [9] Those who often lack access are the underprivileged members of society, that are often the poor and the elderly living in rural and suburban areas that have limited access to advanced communication technologies. The privileged wealthy, middle-class, and young members of society, who live in suburban and urban areas, often have unlimited access to advanced communication technologies. [10] Although the number of people who have access to digital technology continues to increase exponentially, the digital divide continues to expand between those who have access and those who do not.

3.3 What Money Buys

Higher income households are able to adopt newer and faster technology and connections at rates exponentially greater than low-income households. It has been observed that households earning incomes over \$75,000 are 20 times more likely to have internet access than those at lower income levels. Telecommunications facilities are more ready and willing to offer and give access to wealthier, financially privileged communities. Lower income families/individuals have limited resources; therefore a resulting limitation to access communications and the various devices that provide access. In addition to the expense for a device, the relative cost of service subscriptions may be rather expensive, therefore, excluding certain lower-income segments in technologically developed nations. [10]

3.4 Technical Statistics

For example, a recent Gallup “Demographic Profile of Consumer Electronics Owners in the US” (January 8, 2014), polled 1,031 national adults 18 and older from various demographics. Two types of users were identified: “Super Tech Adopters” (who own various digital communication devices) and “Smartphone Reliants” (those who rely solely on their Smart Phones). Super Tech Adopters made up 31% of the consumer electronics users. Of that, 12 made less than \$30k annually, 34 made between \$30k to \$75k annually, and 53 made over \$75k annually. Smartphone Reliants made up 19% of the poll. Of that, 30 made less than \$30k annually, 46 made between \$30k and 75k annually, and 23 made over \$75k annually.

3.5 Statistical Summary

From these polls we can see that (1) the access to various devices was directly proportional to income level where income level increased, so did the ownership and ability to rely on multiple devices to perform various tasks. (2) Those making over \$75k annually were a lot less reliant solely on Smart phones and were a part of the larger population of Super Tech users who, on average, made above \$30k annually. A higher income makes it possible that one does not rely solely upon Smartphones to conduct life in the digital world, making access to information and opportunities easier and readily accessible from multiple resources.

4 Education

4.1 Technologies Role in Education

Broad levels of education appear to amplify the digital divide. Families with advanced levels of education are more likely to have computers and the Internet in the home. Persons with a college degree are more likely to have daily contact with computers than persons who only have a high school diploma. Data collected between 2000 and 2005 highlight that an individual with a college degree is more than eight times more likely to have a computer and internet service in their home compared to those with just an elementary school education. [13]

4.2 Bridging the Gap to Educational Success

Equality in the school system is needed for students to succeed. Satisfactory teaching materials, especially updated technologies, are needed so that students are able to succeed educationally. School children who do not have regular contact with computers will fall behind their peers. Eventually, they may miss out on 70% of professions that entail moderate or high amounts of computer education, in which salary is thriving. Ten percent may end up with low-paying jobs that are not computer-based. [13]

4.3 Those Falling into the Gap

Educated young students, ages 30 and under, who live in metropolitan areas are more likely to have access to computers than students who are less fortunate, older, less educated, and live in the countryside. Families that live in rural areas are more unlikely to be able to afford long distance charges to connect to a long distant Internet Service Provider (ISP). [13]

4.4 Preventing the fall

Gaps in achievement occur at every level in the scholastic system. However, these gaps can be overcome. Students will be successful if they have good teachers that are willing to challenge them, and not label the student by placing them in a remedial class. Ranging from children in Pre-K to the college graduate, poor and minority students accomplish the same goals as other students if they are all taught on the same level. Teachers are aware that students do not learn at the same pace. Others may need extra time, encouragement, and training to reach their goal. [12]

As we enter the Information Age, access to computers and the Internet is becoming increasingly vital. It is in everyone’s interest to ensure that no American is left behind. [13] Public centers, such as schools and libraries, play a significant role to ensure that no individual misses the opportunity to become technologically literate. Data shows that these centers are primarily used by persons who do not have computer or Internet access in their homes. Providing public centers with access to the internet will help less fortunate students compete in the professional world. As reported from the Natural Telecommunications and Information Administration (1999), access to the internet from children in grades K-12 are a key factor in an increased internet access from those with lower levels of education and income when surveyed as a whole. [13]

5 Geographic Location

5.1 The Role Geography Plays

The effects of Digital Divide on societies within the United States and abroad is larger than one would expect. While many factors contribute to the divide, one of the most prominent reasons for this is geographic locations. The statistics surrounding internet usage is detailed in many contributing factors such as economic and societal influences; however, the geographic location is by far the most influential. Whether it is because of government control or rural lands, your location determines how connected you are, if you are at all.

5.2 What Gives?

Those who do not have internet access at all, rather than quality of connection, is broad and vast. The reasons contributing to a complete lack of connectivity include rural areas and countries that limit or prohibit their citizens’ access to the internet. Countries that heavily monitor and filter their citizens’ access to the internet include China, Saudi Arabia and Libya. [14] So while internet access exists, the citizens of these countries are limited on what they can access over the internet. Lastly, some cities and towns even restrict their residents from owning a computer.

5.3 Do We Need It?

Still, many places in the world remain without internet access simply due to the geographic location. Untouched by technology, these places do not have or have never sought the capability of connectivity and they include: Tristan da Cunha Island; Yakutat, Alaska; Sahara Desert, Black Forest, Germany; and the Dzanga-Sangha National Park, Central African Republic [14]. While some communities within the United States and internationally do not offer internet access, most have the option of obtaining it from schools, offices, libraries and internet cafes, though quality may be poor.

5.4 Spreading the Wealth

The digital divide is surprisingly large and efforts have been made by private organizations to combat this. One example of a private organization looking to decrease the digital divide is the 50x15 Foundation. This foundation has come together to support empowering 50% of the world’s population with internet access by 2015. [15]

5.5 Making Things Possible

Connectivity to the internet is made possible by satellites, power lines, telephone lines (DSL), cable lines (broadband), fiber optic cables, analog (dial-up internet), wireless (radio frequency bands), and T-1/T-3 lines (popular for commercial needs).I mention these forms of connectivity because it relates closely to geographic locations. Those who live in rural areas can attest to requiring satellite rather than fiber optic cables to connect while those in urban areas can rely on wireless access [15].

6 Effects of Societal Issues

6.1 Role Reversal

There are many effects that the digital divide can have on society. Within the 21^st^ century, role-reversal where children are teaching their parents how to use technology has become far more prevalent. Currently, computers are being utilized heavily with children’s homework assignments. As student curriculums heavily rely on technology and the usage of computers, parents who did not grow up using computers are at a great disadvantage in assisting the child. More than likely, the child will teach the parents how to operate a computer, causing this role-reversal. [16]

6.2 Socializing with Technology

When asked about building friendships with others, it is unlikely that one will refer to or think about a computer to make friends. However, that is quite common, symbolizing the digital divide between “electronic friendship” and “peer friendship.” The reason for this divide is that some people might consider making an electronic friendship easier than establishing a peer friendship. In part, because people can be anything or anyone they choose in relation to an electronic friendship. [16] Profiles made on social media or gaming sites might not be true, but there are no rules or guidelines they have to follow. People are spending more time on computers and social media. [17] Therefore, they do not have time or want to expend the extra effort to go out to make a peer friendship.

6.3 A Generational Reliance on Technology

Today’s generation depends on computers on a daily basis. They might use a computer for homework or for social media interaction. When it comes to homework, they do not use the “old fashion” way such as pulling out a dictionary or a thesaurus. Software such as Microsoft Word or Microsoft Excel performs many of these functions for them. From math calculations to spell check, these programs can discourage children from actually learning correct grammar or how to perform mathematical formulas properly. Alice Martin (2013) agrees that children, overusing technology, can be detrimental in many aspects of their development. Alice comments that a “limited use of gadgets can be quite useful for children as it will allow them to be up to date with the current technology. However, the overuse of these advancements can really hamper or even damage their development in the personal growth, communication and educational department” [18]

7 References