Digital Divide

While the digital divide has left cause for concern, there might be positive shift in the internet access gap. According to this article, written by Gregory Asmolov, Russian families are becoming more and more enabled to access the internet.

It was reported in 2009 that users with broadband access jumped up 36%. The article points out two interesting facts. Over half the Russian population claims that the recent economic downturn has not affected their level of internet usage. This is an amazing thing considering how expensive it is to have internet access in some areas of Russia. This says volumes about just how crucial internet access has become today.

Another point the article discusses is the amount of young Russians beginning to use the internet on their mobile phones, 46% to be exact. This is interesting because not only are Russians becoming increasingly dialed it, but they are jumping from regular internet access to hand held access.

I chose to look at an article about Russia because it’s relevant to interpreting the global divide. It is important to stay informed about what is happening around the world because Russia’s progress means an overall shift in how much of the world now has broadband access and what the shift in the divide is. It is important to remember that Americans are not in this alone and it is imperative for the rest of the world to have access as well.

In light of the topic of the digital divide, this article offers a positive response towards efforts of closing the gap. It is important to see numbers like Russia’s in all countries. It is so crucial that everyone in every country has fair access to the internet for a lot of reasons but mainly so everyone is capable of an education and has an equal opportunity for success.

Countries without the technology and without the knowledge of how to use the technology suffer and are unable to succeed in a global market due to a lack of education.

Russia’s numbers interpret a lot about society as a whole. It is amazing that despite unfair pricing in a lot of Russian areas, people are still willing to pay because that is how important internet access has become to us.

The other day I was at my house and for some reason our internet was down. It could not have been for more than thirty minutes but my roommates and I were devastated, you would have thought it was the beginning of the end. Point being, this is how people that do have broadband access feel about their connections because they are just that crucial to everyday life.

It is a wonderful thing to see numbers like Russia’s, it offers hope that there are advancements in closing the digital divide as well as encourages support.