Bridging The Digital Divide

Today’s users of the world wide web can not imagine a time without such technological tools as computer systems and Internet access. Many Americans seem to believe these inventions are a kind of institutional right or freedom. They create many gaps between generations, socio-economic classes,  nations, and affect the state of our environment.





In the above video TEDx speaker, Karlie Robinson pressures users to be more conscious of their time spent with such advanced machines and consider what these tools were originally introduced to achieve. She shares shocking images of landfills piled with out dated computer towers and technologies that could be refurbished in order to educate a user in need. Today instead of making sure world wide access  is offered to children worldwide a digital divide has been instituted.
As a society we tend to classify being technologically literate as a skill but many users today do not consciously think about their actions online. In a world where many societies on our planet still lack essential needs it is unsettling to consider the sense of comfort one may experience when seated in front of their personal computer investing hours of their time on popularized social media pages such as https://www.facebook.com/ or https://www.instagram.com/.


The impact of these technologies is monumental and the rates of use of the tools mentioned above is significant. John J. Burke, author of our course textbook, the Neal-Schuman Library Technology Companion: A Basic Guide for Library Staff, recognizes that younger people  are more likely to have exposure and basic knowledge of operation when it comes to these systems(pg. 146). Young people have much to learn from the amount of access the internet, higher education, and their public libraries offer individuals passionate about learning.

In many civilizations today users can not freely surf the world wide web, while others lack running water or a reliable source of electricity. Human beings have the power to treat one another with kindness and respect and the digital environment, although it was created to aid users, it often tears people apart. Libraries are centers for the people. This is why I believe that they have the power and potential to really bring a new style of teaching technology to the people. Young people need to be aware of how these machines operate and perform, therefore they need to experience as many softwares and programs that the systems have to offer. Public libraries today have identified that technology is a resource they should be providing their patrons therefore they will need to be equipped and able to answer any user’s questions in regard to these machines or be able to direct users, bridging the gaps of the digital divide.