Contrary to early optimism in the digital information society, the information divide is perpetuated by a variety of factors beyond physical access. In addition to access, digital literacy and social environments combine to create new divides that require a multifaceted approach to address.
Just as there is a gap between the rich and poor in capitalist societies, there is also a gap between the haves and have-nots in the digital information society. In the early days of digital media, there was optimism that the information gap would soon disappear as the media became more widely available. With the advancement of digital technology, there were high hopes that information would become more accessible to everyone. Many believed that digital media, such as the internet, would democratize information and become an important tool for reducing social inequality. This optimism stemmed from the hope that the free flow and sharing of information would bring about positive change throughout society.
Of course, there were also critics of the information divide, but even here, the prevailing view was that differences in access to media would decrease. In the early days, internet access was limited, and there were concerns that the information divide would be exacerbated by expensive computer equipment and connectivity costs. Over time, however, as technology improved, the price of digital equipment dropped, and internet penetration grew rapidly, these concerns were allayed. At the time, there was a widespread belief that the information divide was only a partial phenomenon in society and that it would naturally resolve itself as the cost of access became relatively less expensive.
However, according to post-adoption theory, which began to emerge in the early 2000s, the information divide is not simply a matter of physical access, but is multidimensional and persistent. With the proliferation of affordable digital media, the binary logic of explaining the information divide in terms of haves and have-nots has become less compelling. While technological advances have made physical access itself easier, there are still issues that remain unresolved. The information divide is no longer just a matter of access, but a multifaceted approach that includes information literacy and social and economic disparities.
While simple physical access to digital equipment and services is declining, new types of disparities are growing. For example, the increasing penetration of the internet and smartphones has reduced the physical access gap, but an information gap is emerging due to differences in digital literacy. This has increased the likelihood that those who lack information literacy skills will be marginalized in the digital society. Simply having access to digital media is not enough; the ability and environment to utilize it properly has become critical.
Current discussions of the information divide focus on two main issues: independence of access and equity of access. Access is the ability to utilize digital media appropriately and in context. While access to digital media has increased, there are still people who are afraid and reluctant to use it. This is a common problem among people who are not familiar with digital technology or who have difficulty learning new skills. Their resistance to new technology prevents them from utilizing the full potential of digital media. In addition, some people are unable to actively apply the information they acquire from digital media in their daily lives and problem-solving situations. If this lack of independence is not addressed, it is difficult for those who have access to digital media to actually utilize them in a rich way.
Equity of access refers to equality of opportunity, such as social networks. Even with increased media literacy, information gaps persist if the surrounding environment does not improve. For example, if the community or workplace is not conducive to the use of digital technologies, it doesn’t matter how digitally literate an individual is. Depending on their circumstances, individuals may have worked hard to learn how to use them, but have fewer opportunities to use them than they would like. So, even if an individual knows how to use digital media and wants to, if the conditions are not supportive, an information gap exists.
Today, research shows that new aspects of the information divide emerge in combination with demographic variables such as income, education, age, gender, geography, and physical disability. For example, older adults often have less understanding of and ability to utilize digital technology than younger generations, which further exacerbates the information divide. In addition, people living in rural areas often have less internet access and quality than those in urban areas, making them more prone to the information divide. These variables can create more granular inequalities and lead to qualitative differences in information use, which can affect an individual’s academic performance and labor productivity. In the future, the existence and types of information gaps may be even more complex than they are today, depending on the circumstances of individuals and the social context in which they use digital media. This will make policy and societal efforts to bridge the information divide even more important.
