Internet Inequality

28Mar07

A technological revolution is transforming society in a profound way. If harnessed and directed properly, information and communication technologies (ICT) have the potential to improve all aspects of our social, economic and cultural life. ICTs can serve as an engine for development in the 21st century, yet the majority of the world’s population has yet to benefit from the new technology”- UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, 2002

My section of this blog will investigate inequality in Internet access. Why study the Internet? Well, I’ve long been interested in the Internet–especially as a technology of empowerment and resistance. Lately, though, I have been asking myself about the actual potential of the ‘Net. Will it enable the oppressed to coordinate their fights? Will it increase transparency in government and reduce corruption, exploitation, and all those other bad -tions? Or will it devolve into interactive television? Is it no more than interactive television now?! I don’t think so; I hope not; this blog is not for naught!

Inequality in Internet access. Of course, it’s not the access that matters, but the benefits gained from said access. Because of course access can be detrimental: any parent who has ever tried to detach a lethargic teenager from his or her marathon online session of gore and murder video games can attest to that. As could this guy, and this guy too (if they were around to tell us).

Despite the dangers of digital technology (which certainly extend beyond gaming addictions—I think of awful Thai soaps full of negative stereotypes of ethnic minorities in Laos, which is seeing satellite television dishes pop up alongside new electricity lines) many argue that without equal global access, the Internet will only serve to perpetuate global socio-economic gaps, instead of being “the great equalizer” that so many envision it to be. Internet access inequality (often referred to as the “digital divide,” which refers to technology in general) parallels many preexisting inequalities we have seen even before the invention of this marvelous tool. Those without money, literacy, electrical power, proper training, and phone/broadband infrastructure have been excluded from the (equalizing?) resources of the Internet, which include education, retail and marketing opportunities, organizing, entertainment and long-distance, real-time communication. Of course, this includes most people on earth. What’s worse is that these inequalities fall along race and gender lines too. Black people own fewer computers than whites, men have many more tech jobs than women, and the poor have less access to the Internet than the wealthy.

The latest available figures show that there are just over a billion Internet users on Earth. That’s an astronomical figure! The Internet as we know it has only been around for twelve years or so. A billion users. Unfortunately, we must remember that there are over six and a half billion people on the planet, and the distribution of users among us is highly unequal.

Consider these stats from Internet World Stats: Usage and Population Statistics. They use the term “population penetration,” which is the percentage of Internet users in any given population. User does not imply ownership of a computer and a connection, only that there is some access. Internet World Stats uses this definition:

(1) The person must have available access to an Internet connection point, and
(2) The person must have the basic knowledge required to use web technology.

So here’s the global breakdown:

Africa: 3.6 %
Asia: 10.7 %
Europe: 38.9 %
Middle East: 10%
North America: 69.7%
Latin America/Caribbean: 17.3%
Oceania: 53.5%

Global: 16.6%

Of course, as we know, not all knowledge is good. It is not necessary or desirable to plug everyone in. Many have argued that the Internet is simply the new frontier of neocolonialism, especially since the ‘Net is dominated by English-language writing and Western worldviews. However, I argue that to deny communities the choice is to deny their basic agency and intelligence as human beings. Let people fill their minds with garbage if they want. Or give people a chance to change their futures.

This is a global issue, but a local approach here in Washington, DC will be illuminating. It is true that North America has the highest penetration, but the divisions are present here as anywhere. Hopefully you’ll see the fruits of my future efforts to contact some people working at CTCs (Community Technology Centers) in the city… Using interviews, I hope to get their viewpoint–people who have dedicated so much to sharing the benefits of access. They’re the ones who are trying to turn the Internet into the equalizing force it could be.

“Revolution is impossible until it is inevitable” – Albie Sachs

Filed under: Digital Divide, Sean, Technology   |  40 Comments