Blog 7: Digital Divide

I think the pandemic really showed how important access to personal computers and internet was, where it was most commonly used for work, school, and entertainment. The pandemic also showed the reality of the digital divide in the U.S. and the world and I would say that because of our huge dependence on tech, PCs and access to the internet is arguably a basic necessity for everyone now. I think we should care about the digital divide because without a device or the internet, you are basically disconnected from the world around you and are placed at a disadvantage with not being able to have basic technical skills with devices and the internet. Especially with education focused around having a computer and access to internet, if you do not have then how can you progress and succeed in school? I think we can try closing the digital divide at the foundation of where basic technology is needed: our education system. Our education system is centered around that basic tech and students need access to that in order to progress and succeed through school, and they need that access starting day one, which is also vital for children to start developing those basic technical skills. I think the video we watched in class was a perfect and creative solution to the digital divide, setting up internet routers in school buses and giving students access to laptops are amazing ways to giving them the basic tools to succeed in school.