Impact of the Digital Divide

  Bridging the gap of the digital divide can have an impact on many peoples lives, mostly positively. It can help people overcome barriers, while also being cost-effective. Many causes of the divide are socio-economic, and has many related socio-economic consequences. The unemployed are able to search and apply for jobs online, being much more effective than physically going around towns/cities looking for work, which is something that the JobCentre are implementing more often. ICT can also improve their job prospects, as they may be able to participate in online courses, such as the open university, which widens their skills and gives them more opportunities in the future. However, they are limited as they are more likely to rely on free access, such as libraries and free courses as they do not have the same resources available as many middle class individuals. Many disadvantaged people also lack the availability and training of using ICT, such as the elderly and disabled. A person who has limited access in every day life could benefit from using computers and being trained on how to use them productively. For example someone who is in a wheelchair could benefit from being able to do their shopping and banking online, and elderly individuals could benefit from having training to understand ICT more in depth. The funding which is put into the ICT access areas are usually placed in town centres/cities, which although convenient for many people which travel to and from every day can be very easy, for some it can be nearly impossible. This means that for businesses and people who live in remote areas, they need high-speed telecommunications, for them to be able to function just as well while being away from the main centre, where things such as local courses and libraries are.
  All these things can have a large impact on education and life/career chances. Due to now living in a 'digital society', those who are not intergrated into technology at school, are then at a disadvantage when they go into wider society. However, school is not the only institution which influences how knowledgable individuals are on technology, as its also home life, which is determined with the social ladder of their family; wether you are able to afford a computer and up-to date technology. This is why many argue that the introduction and development of more technology into schools widens the gap for many children.
  Many jobs and businesses have dissapeared due to the introduction of technology, mainly the internet, with this increasing as there are more advances. There are major differences within rural villages, with the number of post offices, and banking services decreasing within the last 10 years. Physical jobs have also decreased, preferring to use technology, such as libraries, tax offices and banks. This could not only increase any existing social disadvantages for specific groups