[citw150] CITW L3 Q5
- From: Don Elliott <donelliott58@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: CITW Listserv <CITW150@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 16 Jun 2005 15:39:16 -0700 (PDT)
Hello all,
The societal issue I chose to write about is the first one mentioned in the
book in the section entitled "Equity, Cost, and Universal Access." The book
accurately states that the expansion of the internet is creating a
technological underclass in our society. I experience this first hand at one
of my jobs at the Baker-Donora Focus Center. I was hired last year under a
Title V Juvinile Justice Grant to work with children and seniors on computer
skills. Although I am just a novice, I have found that people that know little
about the technology, think people like me know everything.
I surveyed the kids that come in to the Center, and found that out of over 40
that I surveyed, only one had Internet access at home. So when the book tells
you that 62% or 70% or whatever people have access to the Internet, they are
including schools, libraries etc. And when they talk about Internet at thier
homes, they are using broad numbers that don't seperate out the inner city and
poorer folks in our country.
I believe very strongly that just as providing education and opportunity to
lower income communities, that access to the Internet is just as important to
keep these people "in the loop" with American society. The two links below
give information about how the Internet has grown, who is using it, and who
does not have access to it and why. You will see by the numbers that Internet
availability in the home drops as income level does. I think it is important
that we as a society help to promote programs that will allow the lower income
folks among us access to the very important and usefull tool.
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/dn/html/Chapter8.htm
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/dn/index.html
Don Elliott
"The more you know, the more you know you don't know"
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