What is the digital gap?
The term “digital divide” has been used to describe variations in Internet access and Internet-related technology (such as computers) available in various countries and even within developed countries. As the Internet has become more ubiquitous in many countries around the world, there is still significant variation in the amount of access people have to that resource. There is a clear trend line that correlates the countries where poverty is most common with the lack of Internet access and the underdeveloped technological infrastructure in those countries.
The existence of a digital divide that separates developed from underdeveloped countries does not insinuate that the evolution of the Internet has somehow created inequality in the world. In fact, the digital divide generally follows historical patterns of technology development and use between advanced countries like Britain, the United States, and Japan versus more primitive countries like those in Africa and South America.
However, one thing becomes clear when considering what the Internet provides. Those who have constant access to the Internet naturally have more opportunities to communicate, learn, do business, and access the world’s network of resources at large. A study published in 2014 showed a high correlation between average household income and average internet speed.
How does the Internet create opportunities?
An example from Honduras
The Internet offers countless ways to overcome poverty and create opportunity. As I write this article, I am in Honduras helping a nonprofit charity teach internet marketing skills to their students. A significant part of our fundraising program for the school involves building an online dental store that will be operated by students. They will learn how to use search engine optimization and social media marketing, order fulfillment, customer service, technical writing, and other skills that would not be available to them were it not for the opportunity the Internet provides.
Education
Perhaps the most critical component that makes the Internet accessible to as many of the population as possible is access to information and the education that goes with it. Learning has certainly evolved in the last twenty years. Instead of having to rely on face-to-face class lectures that comprise tuition-required programs and flexible scheduling, YouTube, Wikipedia and other online learning tools have brought education to anyone who can access their pages.
Business
The ability of businesses to market their products on the Internet has leveled the playing field, making profitability a strong possibility for those who will spend time learning how to set up the Internet to attract their customers. Techniques for attracting customers are described in detail for free or low cost on inbound marketing tutorial sites all over the web.
Thanks to the Internet, a market has developed for entrepreneurs who build their businesses from home, including mom bloggers who sell advertising, YouTubers who profit by simply filming what they do on a daily basis or who film demonstrations of themselves opening toys, owners of e-commerce businesses that ship products that they market for sale through online stores, and a host of other creative ways to create an internet-based income machine.
Conclution
While the digital divide has not caused the wealth disparity between developed countries and laggards, expanding the Internet to make it more available in places that do not yet have access can significantly alter the playing field, making it so that, if not On the contrary, the lower class or impoverished people can take advantage of the opportunities that are currently used to create wealth among the population with access to the Internet.
