Socio-Spatial Dimensions of Digital Divide

2000

Annals - Economy Series, 2018

New IT technologies have generated changes in the economic and social system, and the rapidity with which countries adopt these technologies is essential for increasing economic and social competitiveness in the future. Thus, the measuring of ITC technologies integration in the economy and society is essential, and at the level of the EU-28 countries there is a Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) that shows how a country evolves digitally compared to others. The 2017 report shows significant disparities within the EU28 regarding digitization. Although Romania ranks 2nd in the EU28 for high-speed broadband subscriptions, it is ranked the last in the EU28 from the point of view of Internet usage. In this paper, we will limit to identifying the regions in Romania with the highest percentages of Internet usage and commenting on the main causes underpinning the regional gaps. The research method used was cluster analysis that identified 3 clusters in terms of Internet usage. The dat...

Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues, 2021

The aim of the article is to identify and analyze the social determinants of digital exclusion in an ageing society on the example of Poland. The ageing of societies is nowadays a process recognized as a common trend in the world. Demographic changes cause serious socio-economic transformations. Contemporary social and economic systems are dependent on new technologies. Full participation in a technical environment is possible only for individuals with specific technical, social and psychological competences. The ability to use new information and communication technologies becomes a life necessity. In this context questions about the endogenous and exogenous determiants of digital exclusion in ageing societies, as well as about the impact of the digital technology on the emergence of new dimensions of digital exclusion have been raised. The methodological basis of the study are the theories of social and digital exclusion, as well as science and technology studies. The information ...

Kurdistan Journal for Applied Research, 2017

The information and communication technologies and their ever expanding and development have transformed all the basic concepts of human life, including the collective life of humans in urban spaces. Now these technologies have caused gradual and sometimes sudden changes in the concepts of space, so that, along with urban spaces, we are witnessing the creation of virtual environments with a wide variety of inclusive activities. This phenomenon led to the formation of virtual communities with a metropolitan state and the virtual universe formation in parallel with the real world. One of the implications of dual spatial and globalization for life of human beings is the creation of a crisis called the digital divide, which is associated with individualism, the reduction of social interactions levels, reducing collective life in the…

The digital divide is one of the main topics in the internet and media research. During the last 20 years, the internet became to be one our main tools of our life. This work will try to focus on the fact that not every internet user has the same skills level in the usage of the internet and its applications. This paper will focus on the different usages of the users for different purposes and will try to claim that the term " digital divide " is not the best term in modern digital developed world.

ANNALS OF THE ORADEA UNIVERSITY. Fascicle of Management and Technological Engineering., 2013

Information and communication technologies are a tool that enables the major development of a society. Monitoring of the Internet trends in Gora area shows some basic problems which should be solved in the upcoming period. The impact of information and communication has become a key factor today and the power of social transformation and social trends in general. The role of the Internet and other means of mass communication in the development and modification of the communication process in modern society is enormous. The strategy of the European Union is that the households in a higher percentage use broadband connection, no matter that the current access to the Internet is greater from personal computers, that increasingly mobile phones and other movable devices are used in order to have an access to the network from any location. Information society is a new society in which ICT plays a central role and in which the creation, distribution and manipulation of information is becoming the most important activity of society and individuals. The characteristics of this society are reflected in the importance of information and creative knowledge, the highlighted role of information technology in the dissemination of information, the use of information networks, radical changes in the lives of ordinary people and the need for individuals to gain experience and skills in order to access the richer information. All this creation requires knowledge, creativity, ability and aspiration of changes in thinking, requirements and expectations. It is important to educate individuals, especially the elder household members, to take seriously the warning that the Internet can be a means of various forms of abuse, including over-use and non-functional use.

Webology, 2014

Several surveys of Russian attitudes towards the Internet are examined. An official surveyor shows that the Internet audience is constantly growing in Russia. But surveys of 'ordinary people' demonstrate a symptom of Internet 'hate': many prefer to escape totally from social media and the Internet space. This audience needs to be investigated in order to answer the question: "are 'non-users' just ordinary 'socio-phobic individuals' or is their attitude a real trend in society and a new social behavior". This article is a preliminary investigation that does not provide answers to this question, but aims to open a discussion. The population of provincial Russia is a very special object of exploration with respect to their attitudes toward Internet because of three important factors: 1) recent penetration of the Internet in social practice; 2) strong tradition of collective life, making social media relatively unimportant; 3) special informational needs excluding the Internet as a satisfying means of information.

SKOLKOVO Institute for Emerging Market Studies (IEMS), 2020

Now that digital technologies have become a key driver of social and economic development of companies, regions, and countries, the problem of the so-called digital divide, or the gap between the levels of technological capabilities, is growing increasingly acute. This divide can be observed within each country and between regions or social and demographic groups. Some degree of digital divide objectively exists at all times, but beyond a certain level, it becomes socially and politically unacceptable — when people from information-deprived regions or social groups find themselves in “another universe” in terms of their economic and social opportunities. It is critical to answer two questions: does the degree of digital divide increase or decrease over time in “natural” conditions, and are there scenarios for an independent bridging of the digital divide by under-performed? The majority of the world has moved beyond the “primary” digitization — creating the necessary Internet access infrastructure — to the “secondary” stage, i.e. creating as many individual digital solutions as possible that unite into comprehensive multidimensional systems. Such systems generate a network effect where the value to users grows faster than the number of system participants. To evaluate the processes of secondary digitization, the Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO developed a seven-dimensional model of “digital life” back in 2014, and then proceeded to test it on Russian million-plus cities. In the new wave of the study, the sample included all the capitals of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, as well as a number of major non-capital regional centres — 91 cities in total. The expanded analysis scope made it possible to compare cities that differ greatly in terms of their size, income level, economic structure, and history. The second-tier digital divide between Russian regions is considerable: the final Digital Life Index score of the leading cities (Krasnodar and Ekaterinburg) is almost 5 times higher than that of the trailing city (Magas-Nazran). At the same time, supply is distributed much more evenly, with only a three times difference between the leading and the trailing city; the resulting digital divide has more to do with gaps in digital demand determined by the population’s digital skills. The correlation between the city’s size and the vibrancy of its digital life is not linear: small cities (with less than 100,000 people) have higher scores than cities with a population of 100–200,000. In terms of demand, they even surpass cities in the 500,000 to 1 million people range, being second only to the million-plus cities. At the federal district level, the Ural Federal District and the Central Federal District take the lead. Despite Krasnodar’s leadership among cities, the Southern District is in the middle of the list, while the North Caucasian District is at the bottom. Statistical analysis of the contributory factors revealed a picture similar to the well-researched digital divide between countries: human capital and expansionary policies play the key role, while the resource capability factor is not so significant. The results inspire a certain amount of optimism, since the digital divide can be bridged through purposeful strategic actions rather than by pouring resources into the regions. Each region can and should aim to develop its digital life to the fullest to experience significant results, such as: • Acceleration of social and economic development and improvement of the quality of economic growth (fixing the existing structural imbalances in the well-resourced primary producing regions); • Fair access to social and economic resources, reduction of inequality, and provision of inclusive opportunities; • Decent quality of life with opportunities for self-fulfillment; • Development of the region’s soft power and competitiveness both on the national and the global scale.

Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 4(2), 1998

Researchers have examined the impact of the internet in regions experiencing economic change and struggle. However, broad assumptions about opportunity and access to the internet in these regions still exist. An unproblematised 'global village', where equal opportunity to engage in an open dialogue, is yet to be achieved. This article examines these issues in East Central Europe and the electronic discourses emergent in and about this region. The article questions the empowering capabilities of the internet in East Central Europe. The article will present the voices from this region who assert that only with widespread access, can the internet fulfil its democratic promise. Women's access to the internet will also be discussed. Finally, the article highlights women's organisations in Hungary, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic which are creating spaces for collaboration and connectivity, and providing a forum for new voices which have previously been silent.