The digital divide refers to the gap between those who have access to technology (including computers and Internet) and those who don’t. Economic and social inequality limit digital equality. In the United States, race, income, age, and level of education compared to levels of Internet adoption prove that this divide exists.
1. “The Internet is not a luxury, it is a necessity.”
– President Barack Obama
Obama said this during an announcement of ConnectHome, a program launched in July 2015 to offer free Internet service to 275,000 low-income households in twenty-seven cities and one tribal nation.
2. “Technology touches everyone, everywhere, and I want to be part of that.”
– Caitlyn, from Boston, of Girls Who Code
Girls Who Code works to educate, inspire, and equip young women with the skills and resources to pursue academic and career opportunities in computing fields.
3. “There is a strong consensus that every American household needs to have broadband access.”
– Julián Castro, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Castro believes that progress toward digital equality will be made as the public sector, private sector, and nonprofits work together.
4. “I’m empowered to do something!”
– Lisa Brown, Byte Back Office Track graduate and MOS Excel student
Access to computer education has opened up professional opportunities for Lisa and improved her quality of life.
5. “It’s no longer a luxury. This is serious. It’s really a social justice issue. It’s a 21st century civil rights issue.”
– Cheptoo Kositany-Buckner, deputy director of strategic initiatives at the Kansas City Public Library and advocate for closing the digital divide
In Kansas City, 80 percent of households in low-income, minority neighborhoods don’t own computers or have in-home Internet connections.