In my last blog, I mentioned major disparities pertaining to the availability of the internet for some people. It’s a topic that many who have the means to access to the internet may not think about, but it is important to consider because of the effects it can have on individuals and society. So this week, I wanted to take a deeper dive into the sobering realities of The Digital Divide, discuss some of the reasons behind it, and consider what can be done to close the gap.
The Digital Divide illustrates the difference between those who have access to reliable, high-speed internet, and the hardware to connect to it, and those who do not. There are three factions of the Divide: Global, Societal, and Personal. The Global Divide refers to the physical geography that contributes to the gap and may be the result of a country’s government limiting or banning access, or the lack of wealth to build the infrastructure. The Social Divide is attributed to differentiating factors within the same region like poverty, education, status, or lack of service providers. The Personal Divide differs from the Global and Social Divides, in that being unconnected is a personal choice. It is one that is usually fueled by suspicions of privacy invasion or the concern for information security.
Even when it becomes a personal choice, being on the wrong side of the divide means not having access to the sheer amount of information, applications, opportunities, and education that the internet provides, and can have lasting negative repercussions on entire communities.
In NYC, one of the wealthiest cities in world, the pandemic has shed an ugly light on the Social Divide that separates its residents, and brought to the forefront the disparities that were already negatively impacting the city’s low-income communities of color. In 2015, a US Census report found that “one in three households in the Bronx and one in four households in Brooklyn lacked access to the Internet.” In 2019, the New York City Comptroller found that “about 30 percent of Latino and Black New Yorkers lack broadband Internet access, compared to 20 percent of white New Yorkers and 22 percent of Asian residents.” And this gap between the haves and the have nots has only been exacerbated in the last year.
When Covid struck the United States in March of 2020, approximately 1.1 million public school children in New York City were forced into remote learning. Even in schools that have partially reopened with a blended learning program, children are still expected to learn remotely for the majority of their schooling. Even with the estimated 300,000 internet ready tablets the NYC Department of Education handed out in the spring, a whopping 60,000 students still did not have hardware as of December. And even for the children who did receive a tablet, access to a dependable wi-fi connection still poses a major issue. This dilemma means that tens of thousands of children are getting left behind academically, lessening their chances of becoming socio-economically equal and creating another crisis within a crisis.
What is the solution?
City Council members Farah Louis (D-Brooklyn) and Ben Kallos (D-Manhattan) have sought to close the academic and digital divides by introducing a bill in October 2020 which would provide every student with a laptop and culturally relevant digital books. The bill would also require transparency on all DOE computers, with a full report due by September 1, 2021 on the demographics, housing situations, and internet connections of the students using the laptops, and the DOE’s computer funding sources.
“Without computers or affordable internet access, the achievement gap will only worsen in divested communities. It is the City’s responsibility to accelerate their efforts to bring households into the 21st century, and help secure their future. If we cannot end the racial disparities that exist in the nation’s largest public school system, then we have failed 1.1 million students who deserve a head start in life.”
Farah Louis
In addition to the bill, Kallos, along with Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, introduced a new white paper titled “Bridging the Digital Divide for Every New Yorker with a Universal Internet Guarantee.” The declaration details why, in a world where we are now required to work, learn, and socialize virtually from the confines of our homes, having access to a stable, broadband Internet connection should be a right for every New Yorker, not just a privilege for some. The report is being “hailed as a comprehensive roadmap for achieving universal Internet access in New York City.”
So while the pandemic has inflamed the Digital Divide, it has also highlighted the need to close the gap. With everyone paying close attention to our reliance on the internet in these times of social distancing, people are more aware than ever of the need to connect virtually. It is an undeniable fact that there is a huge imbalance in our society when only some are allowed access to the fundamental tools to better themselves. We owe it to our children and to each other to find ways of providing equal access to learn, work, and socialize on the internet, even when we are not in a time of crisis. It is said that an educated society is a strong society, and during times like these we could all use more strength.
The following sources were cited in this post:
- Campbell, Richard, et al. Media & Culture: Mass Communication in a Digital Age. 12th ed., Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2019, pp. 56-57.
- President of the Borough of Brooklyn, Eric Adams. “BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE: BP ADAMS, CM KALLOS RELEASE NEW REPORT LAYING OUT PATH TO UNIVERSAL INTERNET ACCESS IN NYC [Press Release].” https://www.brooklyn-usa.org/, 21 Dec. 2020, www.brooklyn-usa.org/bridging-the-digital-divide-bp-adams-cm-kallos-release-new-report-laying-out-path-to-universal-internet-access-in-nyc/.
- Rock, Michael. “Electeds Support Bill to Give Students Free Laptops and Tablets.” https://www.newyorkcountypolitics.com/, 30 Oct. 2020, www.newyorkcountypolitics.com/2020/10/30/electeds-support-bill-to-give-students-free-laptops-and-tablets/.
- Rock, Michael. “Louis, Kallos Introduce Bill to Give Students Free Laptops and Tablets.” https://www.queenscountypolitics.com/, Nov. 2020, www.queenscountypolitics.com/2020/11/02/louis-kallos-introduce-bill-to-give-students-free-laptops-and-tablets/.
Lisa G Alford 