Digital Divide Paper

The digital divide is the disparity in internet access and use between individuals, households, enterprises, and geographical locations from various socioeconomic backgrounds (Abuya, 2017). The digital divide can also be defined as a distinction in connectivity and understanding between cultures or states. Access to technology entails more than just access to broadcast stations; it also entails participating in information and communication. The digital sector has a significant impact on society because it allows for long-term solutions to economic and social problems while also introducing new and broader challenges. Those who have limited or no skills and knowledge become less able to participate in the improved information community.
Description of the problem
Even as the technological advancements and the access to the internet become more affordable and efficient, the digital divide is created as a result of the difference between the rich and the poor thus remaining to be a significant problem. The digital divide is deepening as a result of the proliferation of technological advancements within sectors such as banking, education, employment and job application strategies, phone communication and healthcare strategies, all of which have promoted digital divide as a social requirement (Abuya, 2017). The general shortage of opportunity, education, and projections has divided today's societies. The rich and the refined individuals have a higher chance of getting an excellent access to digital assets than the poor. It is difficult for children in low-income school districts to obtain adequate access to these advancements, therefore, creating a hindrance in learning and developing their technical skills that will propel them to betterment in today's economy. The Pew report of 2012 on the Digital Differences indicated that 62% of individuals earning less than $30,000 annually used the internet while 90% of those making $50,000- $74,999 periodically utilized internet services (Abuya, 2017). There is a significant gap existing among the African Americans, Hispanics and the Caucasians in the access of high-speed network ranging from 49%, 51% and 66% respectively (Abuya, 2017). Teachers in low-income schools tend to complain about shortcomings while using educational technology than those in the high-income areas. It, therefore, becomes a challenge for the teachers in low-income schools to use technology as a teaching tool. Consequently, 54% of teachers reported that their learners had good internet access in the schools, but only 18% of them had students who accessed technology at home (Abuya, 2017).
Countries should be encouraged to approve policies that will enhance development in their technological sector. Well-defined strategies are needed to support innovations that would improve the economic status of these countries. As some nations proceed to consolidate their lead with the technological era, others have still not embraced the importance of venturing into ICT sector. Some states with advanced economies such as Netherlands and the U.K are always at the forefront of providing improved connectivity rates which consequently results in increased rates of the invention that supports their effectiveness. These countries have 90% of their households owning a computer gadget that is connected to the internet (Bilbao-Osorio, 2017). As a result, the usage of the internet between businesses and their consumers increases thus improving the economic growth.
In contrast, developing countries, especially in Africa and Latin America, continue to indicate a lower rate of technological connectivity with reduced usage of the internet. The immediate effect that comes along with the reduced cost of connectivity is the limitation of the development of e-commerce (United Nations, 2017). There is a lot of struggle in these counties to upgrade their digital connectivity meaning that they already feel the impact of losing out on all the economic and societal benefits that arise from a better technological infrastructure. Countries such as Rwanda and Kenya have obtained enhancements in the digital field whereby, several improvements such as M-Pesa have led to social and economic gains (United Nations, 2017). However, the usage of internet and other ICT infrastructures are yet to be highly valued. In general, for countries to realize the full potential of ICT, they must cordially improve their digital infrastructure, technology, knowledge, and skills.
The cost of affordable broadband connectivity is a booster of the growth of the economy. A report by the World Bank indicates that it's only 15% of the general population of the world have access to the internet (Bilbao-Osorio, 2017). Regarding gender, women are primarily affected since they are unable to afford as they tend to receive low wages and have a reduced control over usage (Bilbao-Osorio, 2017). The government and the officials should enact the affordability of internet facilities and devices. They should also promote transparency that will see through fair competition. Tax laws should not encourage biases in exchange for technological tools and services. The government should also provide subsidies and incentives to the users of the internet openly and neutrally.
Interpretation of statistical data
There are many ways of measuring the digital divide. First, we will comprehend the relationship between the usage of internet and household wages across various areas of the US. Each dot in the below (figure 1) represents the micro-data area (PUMA) that entails approximately 100,000 individuals.

This graph represents the number of residents in each PUMA who utilize the internet at home against the median domestic wage for the specific PUMA (council of economic adviser, 2017). This figure indicates a healthy relationship between the median salary and the internet utilization. The PUMAs with the highest median income have internet assumption rate of 80-90% while those PUMAs with the lowest median income have internet assumption rate of approximately 50% (council of economic adviser, 2017). From the graph, we can conclude that a rise in median household income will oversee a growth in internet usage and a drop in the median income will consequently result in a reduced usage of the internet.
Second is a reflection of the internet usage by households and individuals in the European countries. There was a significant usage of the internet in 2016. The use of internet in European countries has become important in their daily lives including education, work and the inclusion in the society as it enables these individuals to gather information and services anytime anywhere (Eurostat Statistics, 2017). However, the use of internet in different countries and age groups varies whereby 14% of the EU population has never had access to the internet. In the year 2016, 85% of homesteads in European states had access to the internet (Eurostat Statistics, 2017). Eurostat expounded that the share has seen an improvement since 2017 where the entrance of internet in homesteads was only at 55% as indicated in figure 2 below.

Figure 2: Households with internet contact and broadband link
A broadband connection is the readily available technological scheme for the access of internet in EU. 83% of households in the EU were connected on the internet; this is double-digit as compared to the previous decade. This rate in 2016 increased with two digits as compared with the year 2015 (Eurostat Statistics, 2017).
Regarding member-state level, Luxembourg and Netherlands had the highest shares of homesteads connected to the internet ranging from 97% each (Eurostat Statistics, 2017). Other member states such as Denmark and Sweden, United Kingdom, Germany, and Finland presented rates of connectivity above 90% at 94%, 93% and 92% respectively (Eurostat Statistics, 2017). At the other end, the lowest rates were registered in Bulgaria, Greece, and Romania at 64%, 69%, and 72% respectively as shown in figure 3 (Eurostat Statistics, 2017).

Figure 3: Families with access to broadband internet
In the European States, 7% of all the population used the internet almost every day in 2016. The rates of daily consumers were highest in Luxembourg at 93%, Denmark at 89%, the UK at 88%, Netherlands at 86% and Sweden and Finland at 85% each. States that registered lower than 60% include Greece and Poland, Bulgaria and Romania at 57%, 49% and 42% respectively (Eurostat Statistics, 2017).
The age and the level of education of an individual have an enormous impact on the ability to use the internet (Figure 4). These factors have developed digital divide by the level of educational attainment. Individuals aged 16-24 years were regular users and represented by a rate of 96% while only 57% were internet users between the age group 55-74 (Eurostat Statistics, 2017).

Figure 4: Impact of Age and Level of Education in the usage of the internet
There were some limitations in the current research that was conducted. The approach of the study being organizational, failed to question on the complicated practical and abstract problems related to the quality of the digital boundary (Dolničar, Prevodnik & Vehovar, 2014). Also, there was no focus on the technical issues that were related to statistical model and limitation of time. Lastly, it was difficult to manage; significant overlap characterizes these researchers. Therefore, their nature dynamically varies thus introducing new levels of complexities.
The future research can aim at more significant issues that relate to human consciousness in the considerations of absolute or relative variations. There is need to improve on theoretical and empirical duties associated with the establishment of cohesive measures for digital disparity (Dolničar, Prevodnik & Vehovar, 2014). Researchers can also seek the most appropriate solution for prioritizing statistical actions at various stages of diffusion.
Ethical outcomes of approval of new policies
New policies that are formulated will enhance an open, secure and functional technological structure that will be beneficial to everybody around the globe. There is equality for individuals' share of a sense of disillusionment for the future of the internet (Stahl, Timmermans & Flick, 2017). This disillusionment is because there is no guarantee of the future of the internet, but it's sure that the humanity is at the heart of it. Certain internet security procedures would lower the freedoms and rights of an individual. The institutions governing cybersecurity issues make tough decisions that could invade the transparency of the utilization of the internet that would limit people's quality of lives.
The privacy of the internet is the most discussed ethical issue in the field of ICT. This problem mostly result because of the increased amount of data that majority of the systems establish and gather (Stahl, Timmermans & Flick, 2017). The technologies that are arising are required mainly to offer new strategies to store, process and interpreted information overflow.
The autonomy of an individual can be affected by the emergence of new technologies. Technologies enable individuals to gain more knowledge concerning themselves and the society and give them control over the environment (Stahl, Timmermans & Flick, 2017). For instance, ambient intelligence makes the surrounding of a person more responsive to their needs, therefore, creating room for personal information and interaction.
Conclusion
The digital world has an enormous impact on the communities because they generate new solutions to economic and social problems but also heightens the tendency of a new variety of challenges within these communities. The paper reflects on the description of the term digital divide, the statistical data and the ethical issues that are related to the outcome. The change of policies and reduction of cost on technological infrastructure will enhance developments in the technical field. Therefore, it is significant for countries to adopt new policies and procedures to enhance the access of the internet to improve the business, medical and the educational sector.



 
References
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Eurostat Statistics. (2017). Internet access and use statistics - households and individuals - Statistics Explained. Ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 28 November 2017, from http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Internet_access_and_use_statistics_-_households_and_individuals#Main_statistical_findings
Stahl, B., Timmermans, J., & Flick, C. (2017). Ethics of Emerging Information and Communication Technologies. Retrieved 28 November 2017, from
United Nations. (2017). Bridging Digital Divide Critical to Economic Opportunities, Delegates Say as Second Committee Takes Up Information and Communications Technology | Meetings Coverage and Press Releases. Un.org. Retrieved 28 November 2017, from https://www.un.org/press/en/2013/gaef3374.doc.htm