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Digital Divide
Write a comparative essay comparing at least 3 factors (e.g., age, income, geography) of the digital divide within the United States and Nigeria. Essay requirements: 2,000-2,500 words, at least 5 sources, Chicago or APA Style.The atttached documents are a guide if necessary.
Digital Divide Rough draft
Digital Dark Age: Digital Forms of Keeping Records Research
The world is growing fast in every other aspect, including technology. Technology is a crucial aspect today compared to the past decade. The current life involves the use of technology from every other perspective. People currently use technology to communicate, do research, interpret available information, and store the same relevant information. The advancement within technology has been there to ease our lives. Human social life has also been significantly impacted by the use of technology, both positively and negatively. The advancement and innovation concepts, such as artificial intelligence, seem to push the human idea further. Artificial intelligence is applied critically within different aspects of human life. Economies are continuing to become stronger because they possess robust technology. However, looking at all these advancements that continue to stage the world, there is a bigger gap between the so-called first world countries and other lower-level countries, something this study will look deeply into. The digital divide is a disease that plagues modern society; unfortunately, some places are hit more heavily than others. This essay will cross-examine the effects of the disease on the USA and Nigeria.
The digital divide, which is also known as the digital split, represents the gap that has been created between those who have access to information and those that do not have access to the internet. It is critical to understand the role that the internet plays in the general development of society. In the late 1990s, it was a primary concern for various parties, including policymakers, scholars, and advocacy groups. Although the technology was improving access to information, some regions globally were still being left behind. Therefore, the limited access to information and communication technology and their equivalent media within society is still a significant inhibitor to society’s development.
Globally, it is still a significant concern that countries are divided among the first world to even the third world. The resources available in first world countries like the United States makes it easier for the population to access information through the internet. Compared to other countries like third-world nations, including Nigeria, it is still a significant obstacle for citizens to access information through the internet entirely. It is also evident that the global digital divide gap is contributed significantly due to a lack of available resources. Resources are the primary inhibitor for the empowerment of the local society through the use of the internet. The global digital gap is also created due to the lack of access to the available resources alone. Currently, regarding the internet accessing it is only one aspect of other factors such as the quality of connections. The availability of access to the resources that would effectively help fill the gap still lacks in these regions.
The digital divide has created a new distinction basis because the daily operations are greatly influenced globally. The analysis of ICT use among different countries shows different variations considering the pivotal role that internet access plays. The impacts of the global digital divide are adversely affecting the regions around the world in various forms. The effects of the digital divide are felt on almost every aspect of the economy and society, including education, healthcare, transportation, communication, job opportunities, community involvement, consumer satisfaction, the government, and emergency information access. Since technology plays a critical part in almost every aspect of society, the divide makes it even hard for society to exist effectively. One aspect is the lack of quality healthcare services within the society because certain regions globally have limited access to the internet. This means that these regions cannot be effectively updated on the various researches done regarding various diseases. Healthcare is a crucial requirement for society.
The global impacts of the digital divide are vast, and they are evident from the gap between the first world countries and third world countries. The first impact of the digital divide is in education. In education, the internet is a critical reservoir for information and knowledge. The internet offers a vast load of information that can be used in teaching and advanced learning and research. The available information on the internet makes it relevant for people to posses’ critical skills in operating devices connected to the internet, including computers. The low access to the internet within the developing world countries makes the available education system even n weaker. Compared to other education systems in first world countries like America, the education system in a country like Nigeria is still below average because of limited access to the internet and its resources. The access to limited quality education makes it even difficult for people to access equal job opportunities because candidates from developing nations are always viewed not to have been effectively-equipped.
Comparing the United States and Nigeria regarding the digital gap and its impacts, it is evident and factual that Nigeria has a long way to go before bringing the digital gap. Some factors primarily contribute to Nigeria’s digital divide gap, making it lag compared to other economies. Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, with an estimated population of about 185 million people. Despite the large population, which can provide quality services to the economy when equipped well through the internet, the country still lags. Besides, the country is also blessed with rich natural resources. Still, the digital divide can also be a factor because of the lack of practical ways to exploit the resources fully. High levels of corruption and embezzlement of resources by government officials limit the effective establishment of resources to bridge the digital gap. Nigeria, therefore, continues to struggle more with the digital divide gap.
The comparison between the United States and Nigeria regarding the use of digital resources is very vast. It is primarily important to understand that the two countries are in different sections regarding economic status. The first analysis aspect of comparison between the United States and Nigeria regarding technological resources is income. Income is the amount of money or any other resources that an individual receives, mostly daily, either through work or any form of investment. It is critical to understand that income plays a significant role in the people I society accessing relevant services. Everything in society currently revolves around the financial resources that an individual possesses. A more significant income develops a bigger muscle in the general living of the population. The income differences in the United States and Nigeria can best explain the digital divide. In America, the average income per annum is estimated to be $33,000. However, in Nigeria, the average income per month is only estimated to be $115 and this converted to the annual income reflects about $1380 (Nigeria Living Wage, 2020). The difference between the two countries in the average annual income is $31,620.
Looking at the above data, the difference between incomes in both countries shows a vast gap. An individual in the United States earns an averagely more per month than an average individual earns in Nigeria per year. The financial gap is a major inhibitor and contributor to the increasing digital divide. The low-income rates in Nigeria are also significantly contributed due to the high levels of the unemployment rate. Compared to the United States, where the level of unemployment always averages four percent, the average unemployment rate is estimated to be around twelve percent in Nigeria. In 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the unemployment rate hit a high of 30%. The unemployment rate reflects poverty. While the poverty rate in America is 10% that in Nigeria is a top high 40%.
These factors prioritize a citizen to choose to buy basic needs rather than internet connectivity. Therefore, Nigeria citizens tend to choose to invest the little earned income in the basic needs and try to fight poverty other than try to find out internet connectivity that would benefit them in the long run. The low income is also vastly distributed between the people in both urban and rural areas. It is also factual that people living in the rural section of Nigeria have even a lower annual average in income. This makes it a projection or a need by the people living in the rural section to shift their lives into urban regions. The even lower income in rural areas makes it even harder to access quality services, including education and basic human needs. The finances gathered in these regions are invested in other economic activities like crop farming and animal keeping. The poverty line within the rural areas is also high, pushed by the high unemployment rate. A large section of the rural population is in informal employment compared to their counterparts in the urban areas. Consequently, income is a significant contributor to the digital divide in Nigeria.
Looking at the second aspect of age, it is also crucial to also understand that age greatly contributes to the development and use of technology within different regions worldwide. Age can be explained as the length of time or period an individual or an object has been in existence. Two primary generations explain the use of technology because they fully embraced it, including Generation Z and Millennials (Fry, 2020). These two generations seem to enjoy the use of technology. A particular focus on generation Z. Generation Z estimated to be born in the early 1990s to the current year is always described as young and tech-savvy. Generation Z is believed to be born and become technologically advanced. They were born within the digital era, including mobile phones, desktops, laptops, and even affordable and effective network connectivity.
Age is a critical factor within the economy because it represents the people’s working environment and the general success of the country. In the United States, the average age is 37 years, which means that the population is primarily dominated by millennials (Fry, 2020). On the other hand, the average age in Nigeria is 19 years, which means that the country is dominated by generation Z individuals (Varrella, 2020). This data shows that both the country’s average population was born within the digital era. However, Nigeria continues to lag compared to the United States. Besides, the average American population is mostly working, which means that they generate an income. The average age of 38 years shows that a more extensive section of them generates income in one way or another, making it easier for them to access digital resources. Compared to Nigeria, the average age is 19 years, which means that the average population is still in school and not working. Besides, in the United States, up to 53% of the general population use the internet, while 70% have access to cell phones. However, in Nigeria only 21% of the old population have access to cell phones (Poushter,2020). A major limiting factor to digital empowerment.
The third crucial difference between the United States and Nigeria is the digital gap in education. It is widespread knowledge that education empowers society and, more specifically, quality education. Beyond the basic human needs, education is crucial in surviving in one’s day to day activities. As most occupations require technology and essential reading and writing skills, good quality education must be available to the public. Looking at the quality of education between the United States and Nigeria, it is evident that there is a widening gap between the two nations. This is evident through the literacy levels of the two nations.
In the United States, over 90% of the adults aged over twenty-five years have attained their general educational development (U.S. Census Bureau, 2018), while in Nigeria, only about 35% of the population aged above 36 years have attained or received basic education (Craddock, 2018). The data above shows the wide gap is between the literate and the illiterate in both the United States and Nigeria. The various reasons for the high illiteracy levels in Nigeria compared to the United States are significantly linked to the lack of resources. The unavailability of adequate schools is a significant inhibitor to access digital information. Furthermore, the lack of financial resources makes it even difficult for parents to keep their children in school efficiently. While in America, the average school dropout rate is only 5%, in Nigeria, the dropout rate in primary school is 31%. The leading cause is always a lack of resources to keep the children in schools effectively. High illiteracy levels will make it hard for the children to use the available technology even if they can have access. The low quality of education in Nigeria is a significant contributor to the digital divide.
Consequently, even though these various factors still keep Nigeria far from reaching the United States level, various steps are being undertaken to ensure that the digital gap is reduced. Some of the initiatives that are being undertaken are the Nigerian government forming collaborations with major digital companies like Google, Microsoft, and Intel to equip learning institutions. Besides, the government is making steps in building E-Learning libraries worldwide to ensure that each person can have access to digital information. Finally, the government is developing policies that include initiating technology within the curriculum and enabling every student access. The digital divide is a human-made problem that has only been exacerbated in the modern-day. It has led to the complete control of the technologically advanced over the information illiterate and thus leaves people vulnerable to society’s manipulation and woes and must be handled with immediate actions.
References
Craddock, A. (2018, December 17). Education in Nigeria – WENR. WENR. https://wenr.wes.org/2017/03/education-in-nigeria
Fry, R. (2020, April 28). Millennials overtake Baby Boomers as America’s largest generation. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/04/28/millennials-overtake-baby-boomers-as-americas-largest-generation/
Nigeria Living Wage. (2020). Nigeria Living Wage Individual | 2015-2018 Data | 2019-2020 Forecast | Calendar. Tradingeconomics.com. https://tradingeconomics.com/nigeria/living-wage-individual
Poushter, J. (2020, July 24). Internet access grows worldwide but remains higher in advanced economies. Retrieved October 25, 2020, from https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2016/02/22/internet-access-growing-worldwide-but-remains-higher-in-advanced-economies/
U.S. Census Bureau. (2018, July 31). U.S. Population More Educated Than Ever Before. The United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2018/07/educational-attainment.html
Varrella, S. (2020, September 4). Nigeria: age distribution of population, by gender 2019. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1121317/age-distribution-of-population-in-nigeria-by-gender/
Digital Dark Age Outline.
Digital Dark Age: Digital Forms of Keeping Records ResearchDigital Dark Age: Digital Forms of Keeping Records Research Outline
I. Introduction
A. Background of Digital Divide
B. How does it affect members of modern society on a global scale?
C. Introduce comparison countries
1. United States of America and Nigeria
a. Which country struggles more with the information gap? Nigeria
D. Factors that lead to digital divide
1. Income
2. Age
3. Education
E. Thesis
1. The digital divide is a disease that plagues modern society, unfortunately some places are hit more heavily than others. This essay will cross examine the effects of the disease on the USA and Nigeria using the factors listed and discuss the devastating impact it has had on the latter country.
II. Body-Paragraph 1
A. Income
1. Income can be defined as the money one receives, on a regular basis(salary/wages), as result of work or investments.
B. Compare average income in Nigeria and USA
1. According to Wang (2020), the average income in the U.S is $63,179.
2. The average income in Nigeria is 43,200 Naira (“Nigerian Living Wage Individual,” 2020)
3. This number once converted into dollars is barely $114 a month which is an annual income of $1,728.
C. What do these numbers mean and how does it contribute to the gap?
1. With Nigeria’s national average barely reaching a tenth of the USA’s average, there are more important needs such as food and water that must be considered before accessing information.
2. Inadequate funds to access the internet or even use technological devices.
III. Body-Paragraph 2
A. Age
1. Age is simply referred to as the length of time in which an object or person has existed.
B. Compare dominant age groups in USA and Nigeria
1. According to Pew (2020), Millennials (23-38) are the largest age group in USA.
2. “In Nigeria, half of the population is under 19 years old.” (Varrella & 4, 2020)
C. What does this indicate?
1. This means both age groups were born during the technological boom and thus grew up with technology around. This means their generations would be more information literate than others
D. Additionally, in the U.S “53% of older Americans use the internet and 70% of them also own a cellphone.” (“The Digital Divide: Inequality in the Digital Age,”). However, it is the opposite in Nigeria, according to Poushter (2016), only 21% of the older generation use a smartphone.
IV. Body-Paragraph 3
A. Education
1. Beyond the basic human needs, education is extremely important in surviving in one’s day to day activities. As most occupations require the use of technology as well as basic reading and writing skills, it is especially important that good quality education is available to the public.
B. Literacy rate
1. Over 90% of adults over the age of 25 have achieved their GED or College education. (Bureau, 2020)
2. Unfortunately, in Nigeria only 35.6% of adults aged 36-59 received basic education.
C. Furthermore, there are inadequately run schools, so students still lack the resources to access information. Although, the creation of after school programs and tutoring has provided some assistance.
V. Conclusion
A. Consequences of Digital Inequality.
1.Digital divide is a man-made problem that has only been exacerbated in modern day. It has led to the complete control of the technologically advanced over the information illiterate and thus leaves them vulnerable to manipulation and woes of society.
B. Restate Thesis and provide solution
1.The impact of digital divide is a severe one, but it is one that is felt less by more technologically advanced countries. While the gap may be closing in the US, it seems to be getting wider every day in Nigeria, however through the cross examination of the causing factors it is believed that a sustainable solution can be made so as to decrease the inequality in both countries as well as between them.
References
Bureau, U. (2020, August 18). U.S. Population More Educated Than Ever Before. Retrieved October 25, 2020, from https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2018/07/educational-attainment.html
The Digital Divide: Inequality in the Digital Age. (n.d.). Retrieved October 25, 2020, from https://www.cs.odu.edu/~tkennedy/cs300/development/Public/M03-SocietalDigitalDivideII/index.html
Education in Nigeria. (2019, April 16). Retrieved October 25, 2020, from https://wenr.wes.org/2017/03/education-in-nigeria
Fry, R. (2020, August 28). Millennials overtake Baby Boomers as America’s largest generation. Retrieved October 25, 2020, from https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/04/28/millennials-overtake-baby-boomers-as-americas-largest-generation/
Nigeria Living Wage Individual2015-2018 Data: 2019-2020 Forecast: Historical. (2020). Retrieved October 25, 2020, from https://tradingeconomics.com/nigeria/living-wage-individual
Poushter, J. (2020, July 24). Internet access grows worldwide but remains higher in advanced economies. Retrieved October 25, 2020, from https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2016/02/22/internet-access-growing-worldwide-but-remains-higher-in-advanced-economies/
Varrella, S., & 4, S. (2020, September 04). Nigeria: Age distribution of population, by gender 2019. Retrieved October 25, 2020, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1121317/age-distribution-of-population-in-nigeria-by-gender/
Wang, J. (2020, June 25). What is the Average Income in America? Retrieved October 25, 2020, from https://wallethacks.com/average-median-income-in-america/
Sample Paragraph
Digital divide is a man-made problem that has only been exacerbated in modern day. It has led to the complete control of the technologically advanced over the information illiterate and thus leaves them vulnerable to manipulation and woes of upper-class society. The impact of digital divide is a severe one, but it is one that is felt less by more technologically advanced countries. While the gap may be closing in the US, it seems to be getting wider every day in Nigeria, however through the cross examination of the causing factors it is believed that a sustainable solution can be made so as to decrease the inequality in both countries as well as between them.
RUBRIC
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