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This article provides information about the digital divide in knowledge society:
The free flow of information and ideas has sparked an explosive growth of knowledge and its myriad new applications in the information age. It has been noticed that information, its access, dissemination and control, is at the core of this revolutionary phase of human development and as a result, economic and social structures and relations are being transformed in the contemporary phase of human development.
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Yet the vast majority of people in the world remain untouched by these revolutionary developments in information and communication technologies and explosive growth of knowledge. Although this transformation to information age and knowledge society offers many potential benefits to developing and transition countries, increasing reliance on digital information and advanced communication technologies carries, at the same time, the real danger of a growing digital divide/gap among and within nations.
Digital or knowledge divide refer to the gap between the technology-empowered and the technology- excluded communities in the world around; as well as to the lack of information transfers in and between these communities. The developing world and transition economies comprise the largest portion of the digital and knowledge divides. While global teledensity shows signs of improving the gap between those with and without access to the Internet continues to increase throughout the world.
The ‘digital divide’ has created a knowledge gap between information rich and information poor peoples, which has the potential to give rise to a new form of ‘illiteracy’. The ‘digital divide’ promotes information and knowledge poverty and limits the opportunities for economic growth and wealth distribution. ICTs spur the creation of economic and social ‘networks’ of individuals and communities.
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The power of these networks is their ability to connect diverse groups by allowing them to access and exchange information and knowledge that is crucial for their socio-economic development. Traders and entrepreneurs benefit from ICTs through the opportunities created by promoting their businesses nationally, regionally and globally.
As well, ICT offer, the possibility of delivering basic health and education services more efficiently because people can have access to them from their own communities. Unfortunately the accessibility to ICT to the larger population is very limited and hence their chances for taking advantage of these technological developments is very limited creating a division among people:
Our increased ability to communicate and share information and knowledge increases the possibility for a more peaceful and prosperous world for all of its inhabitants. However, the majority of the world’s people will not be able to benefit from this information revolution unless they are enabled to participate fully in the emerging knowledge-based society. In a universal knowledge society knowledge and information should be easily accessible to all, including those living in rural areas and the disabled.
Special attention must be paid to the marginalised, unemployed, underprivileged, disenfranchised peoples, children, the elderly, the disabled, indigenous peoples and those with special needs. The universal human values of equality, and justice, democracy, solidarity, mutual tolerance, human dignity, economic progress, protection of the environment, and respect for diversity are the foundations for a truly inclusive global information society.