W10. Who is affected by the digital divide? Can we think of some groups?

 The digital divide means that as digital becomes more common, economic and social differences arise for those who have easy access to information and those who do not. The four major information vulnerable groups designated by the government include low-income families, the disabled, farmers and fishermen, and the elderly. Why are they hard to access digital information? Digital information can be obtained through digital devices, not paper newspapers, which are also expensive items for middle-income earners to purchase. In other words, it is difficult for low-income people to purchase digital devices themselves. The elderly are not good at using digital devices because they are not a generation that used to use PCs or mobile devices commonly. In addition, the ownership rate of digital devices among the elderly is lower than that of the general public. Farmers and fishermen with a high composition rate of older people have a similar reason for the digital gap.

 

Then, what about those who have easy access to information? Among them, the number of people who are overdependent on smartphones is increasing. They experience a variety of problems due to the increased prominence of smartphones and reduced control of their use. Of course, you can find knowledge that you don't know through your smartphone. Also, you feel comfortable remembering the information you found, because of the thought that all the information is in the smartphone. However, once you find information you don't know, you need to make a habit of remembering it. That's the first step in reducing overdependence on smartphones. We must make personal efforts to utilize the characteristics of the digital information age in a positive way.