[NLA] Discussion: Closing the Digital Divide

[David J. Rosen]

NLA Colleagues,

This week's Thursday Notes carried this synopsis of a Washington Post 
article on recent Digital Divide research:

> Are We Closing
> the Digital Divide?
>
> Folks with less education, those in rural areas, and minority 
> individuals are gaining computer access, says recent research 
> summarized in the Washington Post. UCLA researchers found that in 
> 2000, 60.4% of adults responding who had not completed high school 
> said they used the Internet, but 64.8% of them said they used it in 
> 2001. Internet use by high school grads increased from 53.8% to 59.5% 
> in that period. A US Commerce Department study showed that in 2001 
> more than half of the total population--and a similar portion of the 
> rural population--had Internet access. A Pew Research Center analysis 
> showed that in 2000 Internet access for African-Americans spiked 13% 
> to 36%, while the number for whites grew 8% to 50%. The divide still 
> exists when measured by income, according to the Commerce Department 
> analysis, especially if only home access is counted. UCLA researchers 
> say there are significant differences in the skill levels of new users 
> and those already online. See http://www.washingtonpost.com   Click on 
> Technology and search for "digital divide."
>
The Digital Divide is narrowing.  Adult education teachers in many parts 
of the country are finding that more of their students now have the 
Internet at home, work, or through a library or a community technology 
center. That's good news.  But it would be a mistake to assume that this 
means >access< . The "significant differences in the skill levels of new 
users"  means, I think, that many of those who have access to the 
hardware and software: 1) aren't skilled enough to maintain and update 
their home equipment, so Internet access is unpredictable; 2) aren't 
comfortable enough in using computers so their children -- who are -- 
see to it that their parents -- especially their mothers -- don't use 
the computer; 3) don't know how to do effective searches for 
information, or how to tell if the information they do get is reliable; 
and, 4) if they have difficulty reading,  don't know what portals to go 
to for useful information in plain English.  The Digital Divide is 
rapidly becoming less of a hardware and software access issue, and more 
of a training and education issue.  That puts it squarely in the adult 
education ballpark.  The recent Community Technology Centers RFP seems 
to recognize that need, but this funding is inadequate, and uncertain 
after this year.  This is an area where adult educators, librarians and 
community technology centers might work together on advocacy.  

David  J. Rosen
<DJRosen at theworld.com>
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