Digital Divide: Global

The world map above  shows the percentage of the population in each country who are internet users. This map illustrated that the percentage is high in the United States, the UK, Australia, China and most of Europe, but there are numerous portions of Africa, southeast Asia, Central and South America that have much lower percentagaes. For more information about regions and countries see this  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_number_of_Internet_users

Source: Ogden, Jeff  Wikicommons.  “Internet Penetration World Map” 12 April 2012 (updated 2016)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/InternetPenetrationWorldMap.svg

Accessed 19 November 2021.

The Global Digital Divide

There are four specific arguments why it is important to "bridge the gap" in the global digital divide:

Economic equality

• Being connected digitally is regarded by some as a basic component of civic life that developed countries and developing countries ought to guarantee for their citizens.

Social mobility 

• Computer use and digital literacy skills are regarded as being very important to development and success academically, economically and socially.

Democracy 

• Eliminating the digital divide would allow communities to become much more involved in events such as elections or decision making which would have national and global implications.

Economic growth 

• It is believed that less-developed nations could gain quick access to economic growth if the information infrastructure were to be developed and well used.

Adapted from:  Digital Divide – ICT Information Communications Technology – 50x15 Initiative. (March 21, 2014). Retrieved April 13, 2014, from http://www.internetworldstats.com/links10.htm Accessed December 7 2021.