Digital divide is a term that refers to the gap between demographics and regions that have

access to modern information and communications technology, and those that don't or have
restricted access. This technology can include the telephone, television, personal
computersand the Internet.

Well before the late 20th century, digital divide referred chiefly to the division between those
with and without telephone access; after the late 1990s the term began to be used mainly to
describe the split between those with and without Internet access, particularly broadband.

The digital divide typically exists between those in cities and those in rural areas; between
the educated and the uneducated; between socioeconomic groups; and, globally, between
the more and less industrially developed nations. Even among populations with some
access to technology, the digital divide can be evident in the form of lower-performance
computers, lower-speedwireless connections, lower-priced connections such as dial-up,
and limited access to subscription-based content

The reality of a separate-access marketplace is problematic because of the rise of services

such as video on demand, video conferencing and virtual classrooms, which require access
to high-speed, high-quality connections that those on the less-served side of the digital
divide cannot access and/or afford. And while adoption ofsmartphones is growing, even
among lower-income and minority groups, the rising costs of data plans and the difficulty of
performing tasks and transactions on smartphones continue to inhibit the closing of the gap.

According to recent studies and reports, the digital divide is still very much a reality today. A
June 2013 U.S. White House broadband report, for example, showed that only 71% of
American homes have adopted broadband, a figure lower than in other countries with
comparable gross domestic product.

Proponents for closing the digital divide include those who argue it would improve literacy,
democracy, social mobility, economic equality and economic growth.

Latest Trend: Algorithm

Tarleton Gillespie defines algorithms broadly as “encoded procedures for transforming input data
into a desired output, based on specified calculations”. These however, are subject to human bias
and have political ramifications. These algorithms commonly used in social media software help to
optimize the platform in particular ways. For many social media companies, that often means
emphasizing ways that will increase profit maximization.

Origination/ Purpose
"The term digital divide was first coined by Lloyd Morrisett, president of the Markle
Foundation (Hoffman, et al., 2001). According to Hoffman et al., Morrisett vaguely
conceived of a divide between the information-haves and have-nots. While Morrisett is
credited with the term, the coupling of ICT and inequality is not new. This belief is also
evident in Compaine's (2001) claim that: "Before there was a 'digital divide' there were
the 'information haves and the have-nots." (Compaine, 2001).
The marked gap between the number of countries that are high-level ICT participants
and the number that are low-level ICT participants has been referred to as the global
digital divide (World Economic Forum, 2000). So, an uneven pattern or gap of ICT
diffusion between industrialised countries and least developed countries exists as
measured by the number of phone lines per inhabitants (teledensity), the number of
Internet hosts, the number of Internet users, the number of households that own
computers, and the number of cell phone users (Campbell, 2001).

Advantage/ Disadvantage

The digital divide has contributed to differences in development levels among

states.
The access to information in the developed world is much better as compared
to the case in the underdeveloped world.
Most people living in developed countries have access to modern technology,
high-speed connections to the internet and solid data plans as well as the
availability of more advanced and sophisticated devices.
Contrary, many people living in third world countries lack such privileges
sometimes even access to the internet is a problem.
This parity has created an economic divide globally since information is critical
in facilitating productivity.
It is therefore of supreme importance that governments in developing
countries bridge this gap to ensure that they compete on level ground with the
developed countries.
Advantage

1. Increased profitability among businesses having unrestricted

access
2. Digital divide help converse culture and keep the societal fabric
intact
3. Digital divide phenomenon offers increased opportunities

Disadvantage

1. It is an expensive affair
2. Digital divide widen the segregation between people
3. Digital divide impacts negatively on the economy