The
digital divide is the gap between those with regular, effective access to
digital technologies and those without. The
digital divide is related to social inclusion and equality of opportunity. It is seen as a social/political problem and has become increasingly relevant as the industrialized nations have become more dependent on
digital technologies in their democratic and economic processes. Larry Irving, a former United States Assistant Secretary of Commerce and technology adviser to the Clinton Administration, made the term
digital divide popular in a series of reports in the mid 1990’s. The
digital divide results from the socio-economic differences between communities that in turn affects their access to
digital information mainly but not exclusively through the Internet. Broadly speaking, the difference is not necessarily determined by the size or depth of the user group. Any
digital media that different segments of society can use, can become the subject of a
digital divide.
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Children and Computers