Our society has gone digital, and I think it’s safe to say that the net benefits have far outweighed the drawbacks. High quality healthcare is more readily available, students have more access to educational resources than ever before, and I’m able to get my favorite granola bars delivered straight to my doorstep within 24 hours of running out. But even though we have more reliance on the virtual world than ever, the divide between who does and does not have access remains a deep and socially charged issue.
From Yosselin Turcio’s article Digital Access: A Super Determinant of Health for SAMHSA, digital access, “plays a role in health care outcomes and influences more traditionally recognized social determinants of health, such as education, employment, and healthcare access”. While this is partly a correlation - i.e. people who don’t have the money, time, or resources to access the digital world are likely to be facing other disparities - we know that broadband holds an important role in supporting outcomes in all groups.
In this post, we’re going to be talking about the importance of equitable online access, the digital divide, and how we can help to support the cause.
What is the digital divide?
The digital divide is a term used to describe the gap between people who have access to high quality technology and those who do not. It was first used in the 1990s to describe households that did or did not have access to the internet at all. The term has evolved in more recent years to accommodate the rapidly shifting terrain of the online world since, as of 2020, approximately 85.5% of American homes have internet access as opposed to around 18% in 1997.
This divide can exist between different geographic regions, socio-economic groups, and even age ranges. People who have access to technology have greater opportunities to access information, communicate, and participate in the global economy. Those who lack access to technology may miss out on these opportunities and can become increasingly marginalized in today's digital world.
Deeper into the divide
As opposed to the original definition of whether somebody had internet access in their house, Investopedia identifies three different subsets of the digital divide we’re currently experiencing. These are the access divide, the use divide, and the quality of use gap.
The access divide
This refers to the simple “have it or not” definition. While less prevalent today, there are still households that are without any internet access whatsoever. As of May 2022, the Community Tech Network reports approximately 42% of seniors do not have broadband access at home. They go on to say that, “Black and Latino seniors are 2.5 and 3.3 times more likely to lack this vital service” (Community Tech Network).
From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, those living below the poverty line are also disproportionately affected by lack of access as well, with 18% not having internet. The figure increases when we consider broadband access, with 45% not having access.
The use divide
This is another area in which elderly folks are the most affected. There is a discrepancy in digital literacy between the younger and older generations as a result of online naturalization. The Pew Research Center finds a very interesting gap between smartphone ownership, one marker of digital literacy, between those 18-29, 30-49, 50-64, and people above the age of 65. Respectively, smartphone ownership between the age brackets are 96%, 95%, 83%, and 61%; a large 22% drop from the previous group and a 35% drop from the first.
The quality of use gap
While Investopedia finds this descriptor as a little more difficult to define, it could be described as the difference between quality of device, quality of internet, or access to broadband.
The largest victim of the digital divide
Unsurprisingly, those that are primarily affected by today’s digital divide are groups that are already marginalized or otherwise go unsupported. Notably, those most affected by the digital divide are those living in rural areas. As we discussed in our blog post Telehealth’s Essential Role In Rural Communities, rural communities historically have and are continuing to experience chronic disparity across different social and economic areas. One of the largest being access to broadband.
One of the biggest obstacles to bringing high quality internet access to rural communities is the low population density, which makes it economically unfeasible for ISPs to invest in the necessary infrastructure to provide broadband service. Rural areas also tend to have difficult terrain and vast distances between homes, making it more challenging and costly to install and maintain the infrastructure required for broadband service. In addition, many rural areas lack existing infrastructure, such as fiber optic cables or cellular towers, that can be used for broadband service. Building this infrastructure from scratch can be time-consuming and expensive. The demand for broadband in rural areas may also not be as high as in urban areas, making it less attractive for ISPs to invest in the necessary infrastructure. All of these factors can make it more difficult and expensive for ISPs to provide broadband service in rural areas, resulting in limited access to high-speed internet for those living in these areas.
Addressing the divide
The hope for this situation is far from lost, and there is a great deal being done to amend the digital divide. One example of this is the USDA ReConnect Program.
The USDA ReConnect Program is a federal initiative that aims to expand broadband service to rural areas in the United States. The program provides loans and grants to ISPs to help them build and improve broadband infrastructure in underserved rural communities. The goal of the program is to provide rural residents with access to high-speed internet, which can improve their quality of life and support economic development in their communities. The program has awarded millions of dollars in funding to ISPs across the country, helping to bridge the digital divide between rural and urban areas.
Our responsibility to those affected
While there’s little we as individuals can do to amend the digital divide, simply being aware and recognizing areas of inequality helps to bring attention to the issue and, hopefully, incites change. In a country as developed as the United States, there’s no reason every American or resident shouldn’t have access to the digital world.
