Digital Divide

Digital Divide

Definition:  The Digital Divide refers to any inequalities between groups, broadly construed, in terms of access to, use of, or knowledge of information and communication technologies. The divide inside countries (such as the digital divide in the United States) can refer to inequalities between individuals, households, businesses, and geographic areas at different socioeconomic and other demographic levels, while the Global digital divide designates countries as the units of analysis and examines the divide between developing and developed countries on an international scale.





Effects Of Digital Divide On Economy:
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People with Internet access are able to take opportunities, such as... shopping bargains - able to search web sites for the 'best buys'. participate in online auctions. buy from overseas companies. buying goods at any time of the day - not limited to shopping hours. Businesses can increase their profits by setting up web sites and selling their goods or services to anyone in the world. This globalisation of markets has had a big effect on businesses world-wide. Greater use of ICT may ensure firms increase their overall efficiency - cutting costs, speeding up transactions, greater control over stock etc.. The success of one business has a knock-on effect to all the supplier businesses. Successful businesses also have an effect on local wealth by supplying jobs. Where there is a lot of use of ICT hardware there will also be a number of jobs and services needed to support the technology.  A widening digital divide between countries may lead to a widening economic divide between industrial developed countries and the poorer ones. The rich countries get richer...the poor countries cannot compete...