Q: I was wondering if you had any information or articles on the Digital Divide. Have cell phones helped to erase etc. A coworker wanted to know what NINE shift had to say about this or if they predicted the end of the digital divide. Can you help me out with this?
A: Here is what NineShift has to say about the digital divide. We think that mobile technology including smart phones and tablets will go a long way toward erasing any digital divide. Even people in remote villages in Africa use mobile phones to conduct business, do their banking and access the Internet. In the US, according to PEW research, 77% of adults aged 18-30 with incomes under 30,000 own a smartphone. That said, we believe there will always be a human divide. There will always be a segment of the population that is less educated and less likely to desire education than other segments. This segment will also use smartphones, but will use them differently than more educated or affluent segments. Overall, access to digital technology has the potential to provide more universal access to information, but people will still choose the information that is of greatest interest.
