The Virus and the Divide

Check out this New York Times article about China dealing with the digital divide so you can follow along in my blog. 

About the Digital Divide

The Digital Divide refers to the gap between people who have access to internet/technology and people who don’t. Though it may seem like everyone has access to the internet nowadays, the amount of people who don’t is still a reality that needs to be addressed. According to the article linked aboved, around 56 million kids in China are lacking internet connection or web devices. That number is truly astounding.

How it Affects Children

While the digital divide can cause an issue referred to as the homework gap, bigger problems are arising. The novel COVID-19 virus is spreading to countries all around the world, putting a halt to everyday life. Schools are closing and educators are frantically trying to provide lessons and assignments to students. Many of them are resorting to the use of technology and the internet. This CAN be a good thing, as long as children have access. And as explained in the above paragraph, millions do not. While some schools are aware of this gap, and are trying to provide learning alternatives to children who are left out, it seems kids will still have to resort to teaching themselves the material or requesting parental help. Then it becomes a responsibility of the parents or child, and many parents are still required to work or simply don’t have involvement in the child’s studies. This digital divide will affect children in ways never seen before. 

Moving Forward 

It’s safe to say that after this pandemic is over things will be different. And they should be. Hopefully this shines some light onto the families who struggle to meet these technological needs. Schools and educators could work together to provide programs where students can rent devices and request internet services. Schools could also work towards moving towards an online learning management system, in case a situation like this ever happens again. In a new world full of innovative ideas, I’m positive that in the near future we will find a way to provide technology to anyone who needs it.