I’m studying for my Communications class and need an explanation

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I’m studying for my Communications class and need an explanation.

 

Overview

This will cover four general topics: the dark side of online interaction, gender, lifespan communication (teens and older adults), and the digital divide.  In order to prepare for the paper you should review your readings, lesson content, and lesson assignments. After that read over the procedure and grading requirements and write your responses. Be sure to read over your answers and edit before you submit your paper. 

Procedure

For each question below please include enough explanation, example, and/or citations to demonstrate a full understanding of the different concepts you are addressing.

1. First, summarize negative online interaction (the dark side of communication). You might talk about different types, what makes this kind of communication unique, and/or why this type of communication is abundant in online communities. Second, talk about why gender might be disproportionately affected by negative interaction. Be sure to include why people of some genders might be more affected by or victims of negative online interactions. Include examples and insights from lessons as needed to support your ideas. (450-750 words)
2. Talk about the digital divide. What it is, why it matters, who is affected by it. Then, connect how different ages (lifespan) are affected by digital inequality. Why is age a potential factor in access or inequality? Why does this matter? (450-750 words)

The digital divide was originally defined as the gap between those with regular, effective access to digital technologies and those without. It was a binary category of “haves” and “have nots”. If we define the digital divide in this way it is easy to just examine data on how many people use the internet. Below is a table comparing different regions of the world along with the world total. You will see two data sets a few years apart, so you can compare how the percentages have changed within the last decade. As you look at the table note how variable different regions can be, consider how our perspective is affected by being included in the region with the largest percentage of internet users (and the US has consistently been the largest percentage since the 1990’s). t is important to consider why these differences exist and what they mean, but it is also possible to define the digital divide in a more inclusive way. Recently scholars have preferred to discuss digital inequality: a spectrum of inequality across segments of the population depending on differences along several dimensions of technology access and technology use. L12 Why Does the Digital Divide Exist? The digital divide (strictly defined) focuses on who has access to the internet and who does not. Let’s consider some reasons that are often cited for the digital divide. Infrastructure To access the internet, you must live in a place that has the necessary infrastructure. This infrastructure can come in many different forms. You might use telephone wires for dial up internet access, you could use cable for broadband access, or cell phone towers for wireless access. But you are limited by what is available where you live. Even within the US we see differences in rural and suburban areas. Some rural parts of the country do not have access to the infrastructure that allows for broadband access and people in these areas are limited by speed and data constraints in a way other parts of the country are not. Income Assuming you live in a part of the world that has the necessary infrastructure it takes money to have the equipment and service for access. We consistently see a pattern such that those with more income have faster, more consistent access to the internet. Education There is also a pattern that those with more education have more consistent access to the internet. It should be noted that a correlation exists between income and education (as education increases income often increases as well) that makes these two variables difficult to separate. L12 Why Does Digital Inequality Exist? When we consider the dimensions of technology access and use, we see three broad categories for why we see digital inequality. You will note some similarity between these and the reasons for the digital divide. The Economic Divide The type of technology, equipment, and services you have is directly related to how much you can pay for said items. There are differences in price for technology (computers, laptops, cell phones), for equipment (routers, modems), and for services (broadband, data plans, etc.). The more money a person has to invest in these items, the more likely they will have faster/better tech and services. This provides further support for those with more income having higher quality and more consistent internet access. The Usability Divide There are a host of reasons why someone may have difficulty using equipment or services even if they do have them. • • • New technologies can be intimidating or difficult to learn. If you have never used a desktop computer, you may have no idea how to use a computer mouse. What many of us consider simple tasks can be intimidating for those with less tech experience. Some people have physical limitations that make seeing, typing, speaking, or other potentially related tasks difficult or impossible. Literacy can be another issue. To use many forms of technology, you must be able to read. For developed countries, the literacy rate is high (most around 99%), but worldwide the literacy rate for those over 15 is 86%. When we consider the entire population, millions of people don’t have access to technology and the internet because of literacy. • Finally, language can be a barrier. Even though only 20% of the world’s population speaks English about 55% of web content is in English. The next most common languages; Russian, German, Japanese, and Spanish; are all at about 5-7%. To have access to a particular site you must read/write/speak that language. The Empowerment Divide In our reading this week they refer to this as “motivational access”. A person must be motivated to find access, use technology, and develop needed skills to gain access to the internet. Some people do not understand why they might do this. For people who live in areas where access is just becoming prevalent, for those without a background or job that uses technology, and for those who have none of the equipment or skills the first hurdle is deciding that this is something you want to invest your time and money in learning. We can also see some generational gaps in the empowerment divide. For the digital immigrant population who lived much of their life without any of this technology they might not feel motivated to gather a new set of skills. We see this pattern repeat with new technology as well. Because many digital immigrants may need additional training to use new tech, they must confront the motivation to do so before acquiring and learning the technology.