Shrinking Digital Divide

I think the digital divide is in fact shrinking. I say this from the perspective of someone who recently has been moving from a technology hater to a technology lover. The main reason for this, I believe, is became I have learned how technology can help me save time, and also how to properly use it.

I believe as schools and businesses start requiring more "tech knowledge", more people will start to come around. Not only because they have to, but they will see how new technological advances benefit their school work/normal work and begin to use them in their own lives.

I think by noticing that the widespread use of email over recent year, we can see how other new gadgets will also be accepted as long as they are intuitive, and not requiring a "how to" class. Many of these new/popular websites; Digg, Delicious, Twitter, Blogger, Google Reader, iGoogle, ect. aren't necessarily appealing to people until they are taught how to use it.

More than just website tough, take the actual gadgets. The internet phone. At first it seems just a toy, but then when e-mails can really be answered, orders can be purchased, and people can be contacted on the go, we see how the work world is really benefiting from technological developments, and therefore people in the work place and coming around and learning more. Because of this, it is required (somewhat) in school to be taught this in order to be prepared, and that is why I think the digital divide is in fact shrinking.

Canada, China, Europe, and the United States have all seen a decrease in the digital divide. But what about in more developing countries? Though we may experience certain advantages with technology in out society, but are they just a luxury? There is a website that deals with socioeconomic development and this issue.