Understanding the New Digital Divide

After school on any given weekday you can find you local libraries, coffee shops and even McDonald's filled with school-age children with laptops or mobile devices. They aren't there to socialize with friends or to just hang out. Instead, these kids are there to do their homework and take advantage of the free wireless internet access. Because they don't have access at home, getting their homework done and keeping up with their classmates becomes a huge challenge – especially if they don't have access to, or can't afford to have, a laptop of their own.

Today, there is a growing digital divide between the children who live in homes with high speed internet and those who don't. Some of these children who don't have access live in poor homes that simply can't afford another bill, some of them live in homes where there aren't any adults who have computers or who need internet access, while others live in remote or rural areas where high-speed access isn't available and even mobile 4G service is unreliable at best.

Earlier this month, there was a great article in the Wall Street Journal about how many children are forced to do their homework in the McDonald's parking lot due to a lack of internet access options. As more and more families are cutting back expenses due to the tight economy, local libraries are also facing the harsh realities of economics. Many of them have been forced to cut down on the number of hours they are open, or close down entirely. Although most libraries offer computers for patrons to use and Wi-Fi access, they simply aren't able to handle the demand. At my local library, for example, the kids who don't own laptops or have access to a computer at home fill the library once school lets out while those who do have laptops fill up the McDonald's lobby and take turns with the one power outlet.

The problem with this digital divide is that as educators embrace technology and require students to complete at least a portion of their work online, these poor or technologically disadvantaged students are finding it tough to compete. The Internet is a powerful tool, and students need to learn online research skills now so that they won't have to play catch-up once they reach college age.

Another problem that students are facing is the lack of access to computers. Although there are many schools that are able to provide laptops for students, they are by far the minority. In fact, we live in a world where really great organizations like “One Laptop per Child” are able to give the gift of technology to children in the most remote areas of Africa, but there are still plenty of children in American schools today that don't have access to a computer outside of school.

We are doing our children a disservice by allowing this digital divide to continue. Students who can't easily use the Internet to complete their work and learn how to use online resources to research and learn critical thinking skills will be left behind. As they grow older and move on to college, they won't have the computer skills that are almost second nature to the students without these challenges. In fact, children who come from well-connected homes have access to a wealth of information at their fingertips, and they have learned how to use their laptops to get things done from an early age.

So, what can be done to solve this problem? Many public libraries have attempted to find additional funds to expand their computer labs and offer higher-speed access, but they are also feeling the economic crunch. In rural areas where internet access is more difficult to come by, the libraries are often under-staffed and have only four or five computers for students to use.

The problem has grown over the past few years, and it's a hot topic at the FCC's Broadband Summit in Washington D.C. During the summit, the FCC will listen to testimony from experts and discuss the advantages of providing free universal Wi-Fi access across the country. Although this super Wi-Fi network won't have the same speeds and reliability as subscription broadband service, it will provide some sort of connectivity for those who don't have access.

The debate over universal access is heating up. On one side, there are the telecom and cable providers who don't want to see a free option become available. In addition, they are expressing concerns that this free access might interfere with their networks and cause them outages and other problems. On the other side are technology companies like Google and Microsoft, who support the movement completely. In fact, Google has long been a supporter of free Internet access for everyone. Currently, they are providing free Wi-Fi to a large neighborhood in New York City close to their New York offices. The location was selected based on the number of student and low income housing in the area.

It's still not clear what the solution will be, but now that so many people have identified the problem, it's hopeful that we will find a way to narrow the growing digital divide and ensure that all of our children have the ability to learn and compete with other students, no matter how humble their backgrounds are.

Image Source: Open Clip Art