The Great Divide

The high school I attended in Dallas, Texas is a great school. I attended Lincoln High School, which also had a magnet. Lincoln made waves in both academics and sports throughout my years there. However looking back at my time at LHS, they did not have the latest and best technology. There were maybe two or three computer labs in the entire school, and many of the devices we used were behind technically. Each year while the school did receive funding there was not always money for new equipment. I had other friends who attended schools in Highland Park, and they were receiving updates left and right. The reality is that it wasn't just computers, it was having to use older textbooks, and sometimes the facilities. I enjoyed my days thoroughly, but there were so many things technically that I had to play catch up with when I came to UT. It also helped that during those years I worked in North Dallas and had access to an updated computer daily. Most of my classmates however, did not have this same opportunity. So much is embedded during grade school, so many different resources need to be developed, but if you don't realize you're missing out, how can you know the difference. Eventually it will get better, and it currently is. There is an understanding of the lack of funding in predominantly minority based areas.

gender gap in digital divides

One of the debate on digital divide will be whether it is shrinking or not. My overall answer will be no. However, in terms of gender gap, I think it's shrinking. The matter of this problem is,  I think, the younger they are, the better they can adapt. 

I hoped to find recent data, but this is what I could find. The data is from the UCLA center for Communication Policy, a unit in the UCLA Anderson School of Management. The news release says that their "World Internet Project" shows "digital gender gap."

According to the news release, an average 8 percent gap between men and women using the internet was observed. "That figure is not as large we might have expected, given the gender disparities that persist around the world. However, in several technologically developed countries, the gap is surprisingly large - in some cases almost twice as many men as women use the Internet."  Following is the data. You can find a full story here, World Internet Project.

Britain men 63.6; women 55.0

Germany men 50.4; women 41.7

Hungary men 20.3; women 15.1

Italy men 41.7; women 21.5 (20.2 percent)

Japan men 54.7; women 46.2

Korea men 67.8; women 53.8

Macao men 37.8; women 28.8

Singapore men 47.2; women 34.0

Spain men 46.4; women 27.2

Sweden men 67.7; women 64.4

Taiwan men 25.1; women 23.5 (1.6 percent)

United States men 73.1; women 69.0 (4.1 percent)

Sorry for the old data, but I think even now we'll have higher percentage of the Internet usage. (If anybody found more recent data, it would be great to share though.) Plus, the gap between women and men would be narrower. 

Setting aside this Internet digital divide, chapter 10-4 and the New York Times news article were about girls' education in new technologies. The New York Times article "What has driven women out of computer science?" says "women accounted for only 12 percent of undergraduate degrees in computer science and engineering in the United States and Canada granted in 2006-7 by Ph.D.-granting institutions, down from 19 percent in 2001-2." 

After I read this story, I was curious whether it's true in Asian countries. I could find a statistics about the number of females students during 2007 school year at the School of Engineering in the University of Tokyo, and surprisingly, similar trend was found. There were much lower percentages of female students' enrollment. You can find a full story here female engineering students. 

In IIT-Delhi, according to a EE Times India on Sep. 1, 2008, there were a significant rise in the number of female students in engineering - 65 percent - and electrical, chemical and bio-chemical engineering are popular. However, even though 65 percent increased, compared with female percentage in New York Times (less than 10 percent are female students), it was not a hugh difference. In 2007, only 9 percent(50/550) were female students. In 2008, only 13 percent (83/626) are female students. you can find a full story here IIT-Delhi welcomes more female students.

Why is that? How can we solve this problem? Can we ever solve the problem?

I could find a paper about "how to motivate girls to choose science and technologiesw?" In the abstract of the article, it provides a couple of says to motivate them. 

1. Showing female role models to girls before high school age.

2. Let mothers have positive attitude for choosing S & T.

3. Notice that the S&T occupation is less gender discriminating.

Digital Divide

Some have it and some don't. But that's always been the case with anything.

As some of us type our way into a digital future, others are still wary of sinister electronic gadgets taking over our lives. I confess that I am one of them. But then again, there are those of us who use those very electronic gadgets to sort our lives out and enhance the way we spend our time.

At some point in time, we figured out that computers also have a place in our homes. Soon, the computer became another household appliance like a toaster or iron box. And after the household appliance stage, came the concept of digital divides. "Digital Youth, Innovation, and the Unexpected: Practicing at Home" by Ellen Seiter got me thinking more about the digital divide and if it will ever close.

But more importantly, I guess the concept of digital divide has now moved on to internet access from computer haves and have nots. And eventually, it will be more than who has access to the Internet and who has access to a computer.

If you don't have either, I firmly believe that you will be road kill on the information highway.

But what of people who have access to technology and do not use it and others who are able to use the technology, but do not have access to it. So, in my opinion, I guess it’s not about owning/having the technology than about using it.