informationeworld.com

John McCain on his campaign trail, was quoted in the following comment:

“We’re in an information technology revolution, and it has changed the world. It has changed America. But we can’t leave people behind,” he said in Columbus. “We have to help them through this transition.”

Society allows a disproportionate access that causes a digital divide by some members who have access to the information and technology versus those less fortunate with unequal attainment thereby lacking in related skills.

The phrase digital divide signifies the inequality between people with operational access to digital and information technology and those with very inadequate or no access at all. It includes the disparity in physical access to technology as well as the imbalances in resources and skills needed to effectively participate as a digital citizen.

Bharat Mehra defines it simply as “the troubling gap between those who use computers and theInternet and those who do not”.

Quote from the Wikipedia; "The theoretical concepts of e-democracy are still in early development, but many scholars agree that blogs (web logs),wikis and mailing lists may have significant effects in broadening the way democracy operates."

The term liberal democracy is the capacity to participate in the new
public space also known as cyberspace. The digital divide in the extreme case of exclusively computer-based democratic participation could mean that no access meant no vote. Hence, there is great concern that some social groups who are without adequate access to technology or knowledge of Internet Technology will be under-represented; and, other groups will be over-represented due to inequality.

Proponents of the open content,free software, and open accesssocial movements believe that these movements help equalize access to digital tools and information.

In addition to the impoverished being isolated from our technological society senior citizens fall into that scenario as well. It is imperative that our older generation become 'Hi-Tech Aware' as many government programs like Medicare Benefits, Claims and more are best accessed online.

It is a critical issue that seniors be educated utilizing technological advance equipment, devices and to have computer skills.

We definitely have a growing number of an aging generation that must be well-informed, knowledgeable, educated, skilled and cultured with technological convergence.

Additionally, as vital–educators must continue their learning in technological divergence and put into action their expertise with innovative courseware.

We no longer live in a simplistic technological society. Consequently, we require our general population to become up to date and knowledgeable with our latest gadgets, devices, equipment and products.

You can see why it is so important that older as well as younger and deprived from technological access communities, be provided with information that can benefit their entire life and generations to come.

The

NATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION ADMINISTRATIONreports the following:

Persisting “digital divide.”Despite this significant growth in computer ownership and usage overall, the growth has occurred to a greater extent within some income levels, demographic groups, and geographic areas, than in others. In fact, the “digital divide” between certain groups of Americans has increased between 1994 and 1997 so that there is now an even greater disparity in penetration levels among some groups. There is a widening gap, for example, between those at upper and lower income levels. Additionally, even though all racial groups now own more computers than they did in 1994, Blacks and Hispanics now lag even further behindWhites in their levels of PC-ownership and on-line access. The following represent some of the more significant findings.”

In any style and type revolution there are always social consequences.

When a revolution occurs worldwide, such as the technological innovation; under developed regions, minorities and the disadvantaged in many locales and countries do not equally experience the very same benefits that countless others in privileged areas realize.

As the technological revolution advances, a gap among ‘the haves and have-nots’ expands.

Therefore, in this type modernization where a world of privileged becomes linked almost instantly at the click of Hi-Tech buttons, the gap grows wider amongst those that are fortunate and those that are underprivileged and deprived of such circumstances and technology.

Another class that is significantly disadvantaged by the technological revolution is for people with disabilities. This means that many people in many different countries are deprived of certain opportunities.

The swift expansion of information and communication technologies, known as the Information Technology Revolution, and new commerce speedily created by these transformations, should offer new employment and economical opportunities for people with disabilities.

However, opportunities are not plentiful for the disabled in the technological arena just as for those underprivileged.

Training is not readily available to those that are in need of the instruction and education necessary to perform processes and or operational tasks using the advanced technological equipment and devices.

Therefore, we come full circle in focusing on technology divergence.

The pitfalls to all classes, countries, regions, ages, students, disabled, seniors including general population; whether it is in the labor force, engineering, industries and education are that rapidly changing information technology and job requirements including the skills and knowledge needed in performance are deprived and marginalized from participation.

Resolutions for the information technological revolution are few. There does not appear to be any performing programs to overcome the social consequences that endure..

To Be Continued: