Can a bridge really be fostered?

With technological advances being revealed almost everyday it’s hard for many people to keep up, let alone those who do not have access to technology at all. I feel confident in assessing that the Sudanese are not comparing Apple’s iPad to Microsoft’s Tablet and they are certainly not concerned if their Kindle is even relevant in today’s day and age. Although programs have been implemented to bridge the digital divide, I can’t help but wonder if it is even possible to begin to fix this problem.

There are over 6 billion people in the world; some of them are lucky enough to have means to technology while others are simply left in the dust. If we were to give every person a computer that still would not fix the vast divide. What need to be focused on is education as well as the desire to learn. For instance, one Christmas my uncle bought my grandmother a laptop; she politely smiled as he set it up and she has not touched it once. She does not have any interest in it, claiming it is for a younger generation and she does not know how to use it. She declines lessons and does not see the advantages of reading the newspaper online when she can have a physical copy in her hand. Perhaps this point is moot because she is not willing to learn, and frankly has no desire. My point being however, there will always be those who are not interested in technology. That does not mean however that they should not be exposed to it. I am sure if my grandmother knew how to work a computer, say like I know how, she would feel differently about her laptop, which is now simply and other thing for her to dust.

Education is the most important issue regarding the divide, if people don’t know how to use the computer they will simply get frustrated and give up. The issue is also the ever changing technology and time. It takes time to learn new programs and to adjust to the quirks. Even if people in third world countries have access to computers they may not have access to the newest and most useful forms software or programs. Although that is not a central point in the digital divide, it is still interesting to look at. It is a classic example of the have’s and the have not’s. Those who can afford the time and the monetary cost are clearly given and advantage. Many people simply just do not have the time to sit and figure out the in’s and out’s of a computer putting them at a disadvantage. While it is unlikely that the whole world will ever be on the same page financially it seems to me there will always be a divide in technology.