Digital divide in Germany

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The digital divide in Germany , the second most populous state and leading economic powerhouse in Europe, refers to the ever-growing gap between members of society without computer or Internet access and those with access. [1] There are several factors contributing to the digital divide in Germany, including age, gender, family structure, education, ethnicity, and motivation. [2] With a large market of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in Germany, there are still areas that don't have access to high-speed internet. Internet access in Germany is more available in big cities compared to rural communities. The German government has taken initiative to increase internet access through the rural communities by adding free internet access throughout the communities, as well as, increase internet education in schools.

Contents

While, overall, Germany's ICT market is the fourth largest worldwide [3] and the largest in Europe, [4] high-speed internet is hardly seen in its more rural areas. [5]

ICT stands for information and communication technologies, and includes any devices and systems utilized in digital technology and communication. [6] That being said, the ICT market involves the buying and selling of these devices and systems. Germany's Its ICT market grew significantly between 2004 and 2014. Revenue from foreign exports in ICT services jumped from $10.2 billion to $25.8 billion. [3] In 2014 alone, revenue from foreign exports in ICT hardware and consumer electronics that were made in Germany reached $37.3 billion. [3] Market researcher, Marketline, predicts a compound annual growth rate of 5.5 percent between 2016 and 2019. [7] While Germany's ICT market is succeeding globally, within the country itself, ICT success is mainly only prevalent in the larger cities. [5] [8]

Potential Solutions

Germany differs from most other countries in that the digital divide cannot be significantly attributed to disparities in infrastructure. Generally, rural areas are placed at a much higher price point for high-speed Internet access as opposed to urban areas. However, the German digital divide is regionally affected by attainable benefits of Internet access. [9] The regional differences are not so much due to geographic barriers, but instead revolve around the different subgroups of the population that make up each region. An assessment made through Wikipedia and Twitter reported that minority and regional languages are underrepresented online. Germans of all ages are using more and more social networks in past years, a strong indicator of a diminishing digital divide. From 2010 to 2013, the percentage of German citizens over the age of 65 using social networks increased from 50 percent to 66 percent. [10]

Effects of the digital divide in Germany

Germany is the leading economic nation in Europe and the second most populous European nation. [11] With several different ICT innovations brought by Germany, the industry continues to expand all around the world. [12] Information access is a vital source for a societies' economic equality, social mobility, political affiliations, economic growth, and the gap between rural areas and urban areas. [13] A digital divide in such a populous nation in inevitable.

Economic growth is based on Germany's productive capacity, measured by the difference of gross national product in a year and its previous year. Principle causes of economic growth include a capital stock increase, technological advances, greater quality of literacy, and recently must take environmental sound into account. [14] According to data provided by Deloitte in 2014, Germany in-store retail sales are influenced 30% by digital technologies, and 15% by web-enabled mobile devices. These technological advances expands the connectivity between online and offline shopping and effects the way society is buying their goods. Social media platforms such as Facebook and YouTube influence young adults, ages 21–24, to spend more money in store than adults, ages greater than 25. [15]

Germany is known to have a moderate level of economic inequality and social mobility. [16] Social mobility in Germany is heading downward, and according Dr. Reinhard Pollak there are four obstacles for upward social mobility. The first is educational upbringing deficits due from parents to their children that impede development in the early years. Another obstacle is the type of school based on low and high social backgrounds of the children and their performance gap between the different classes of the children. The blocking of vocational opportunities on early teens also block upward social mobility. Finally, career paths for adults are minimal due to adequate funding and unclear framework of career opportunities. [17] All of these factors that prevent upward social mobility in Germany hinder proper technological education for children with poor education, and therefore increases the digital divide in Germany.

Political affiliation is a reason for people in Germany to use technology. Before the internet there weren't too many sources of information and now off-liners are concerned about new contents on the internet about the, "explicit and radical political contents. Federal and State government and Germany university politics are in support for improving internet utilization under academic research and teaching conditions. There are two important measures: (1) The Hochschulbauförderungsgesetz (University Support Act) and the (2) the Hochschulsonderprogramm III (HSPIII) (University Special Plan III). Financial contribution by the states and federal government are due to the goal of bridging the digital divide in Germany. [18]

Availability and accessibility of education and technology in rural and peripheral areas in Germany measure to be limited compared to urban areas. With government interference, rural and peripheral areas are utilizing internet access through Mobile Internet cafés (MIC) and the Mobile Internet School (MobIS). Internet access and use in rural areas are continuing to grow, but the key is for it to grow quick enough to keep the digital diving between urban and rural areas as small as possible. [18]

Related Research Articles

The digital divide is the unequal access to digital technology, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, and the internet. The digital divide creates a division and inequality around access to information and resources. In the Information Age in which information and communication technologies (ICTs) have eclipsed manufacturing technologies as the basis for world economies and social connectivity, people without access to the Internet and other ICTs are at a socio-economic disadvantage, for they are unable or less able to find and apply for jobs, shop and learn.

The global digital divide describes global disparities, primarily between developed and developing countries, in regards to access to computing and information resources such as the Internet and the opportunities derived from such access.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Information and communications technology</span> Extensional term for information technology

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Telecentre</span> A public place where people can access digital technologies

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Over the past decade, there has been an increase in the use of information and communications technologies (ICTs) in China. As the largest developing country in the world, China faces a severe digital divide, which exists not only between mainland China and the developed countries, but also among its own regions and social groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smart city</span> City using integrated information and communication technology

A smart city is a technologically modern urban area that uses different types of electronic methods and sensors to collect specific data. Information gained from that data is used to manage assets, resources and services efficiently; in return, that data is used to improve operations across the city. This includes data collected from citizens, devices, buildings and assets that is processed and analyzed to monitor and manage traffic and transportation systems, power plants, utilities, urban forestry, water supply networks, waste, criminal investigations, information systems, schools, libraries, hospitals, and other community services. Smart cities are defined as smart both in the ways in which their governments harness technology as well as in how they monitor, analyze, plan, and govern the city. In smart cities, the sharing of data is not limited to the city itself but also includes businesses, citizens and other third parties that can benefit from various uses of that data. Sharing data from different systems and sectors creates opportunities for increased understanding and economic benefits.

Rural Internet describes the characteristics of Internet service in rural areas, which are settled places outside towns and cities. Inhabitants live in villages, hamlets, on farms and in other isolated houses. Mountains and other terrain can impede rural Internet access.

The digital divide in the United States refers to inequalities between individuals, households, and other groups of different demographic and socioeconomic levels in access to information and communication technologies ("ICTs") and in the knowledge and skills needed to effectively use the information gained from connecting.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Digital divide in Nigeria</span> Internet divide for communication technology

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Digital divide by continent, area and country</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Digital divide in Thailand</span> Overview of the role of the digital divide in Thailand

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The digital divide in Japan refers to inequalities between individuals, households, and other groups of different demographic and socioeconomic levels in Japan in access to information and communication technologies ("ICTs") and in the knowledge and skills needed to effectively use the information gained from connecting.

Digital agriculture, sometimes known as smart farming or e-agriculture, is tools that digitally collect, store, analyze, and share electronic data and/or information in agriculture. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has described the digitalization process of agriculture as the digital agricultural revolution. Other definitions, such as those from the United Nations Project Breakthrough, Cornell University, and Purdue University, also emphasize the role of digital technology in the optimization of food systems.

Gender digital divide is defined as gender biases coded into technology products, technology sector and digital skills education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Digital divide in Colombia</span> Overview of the role of the digital divide in Colombia

The digital divide in Colombia refers to inequalities between individuals, households, and other groups of different demographic and socioeconomic levels. More specifically, differences in access to information and communication technologies ("ICTs") and in the knowledge and skills needed to effectively use the information gained from connecting.

References

  1. ↑ "The Digital Divide". cs.stanford.edu. Retrieved 2017-10-09.
  2. ↑ "Factors which create the Digital Divide - Social". vle.moirahouse.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-10-09.
  3. 1 2 3 "Make it in Germany: IT and telecommunications". Make it in Germany.
  4. ↑ GmbH, Germany Trade and Invest. "GTAI - Information Technologies". www.gtai.de. Retrieved 2017-10-13.
  5. 1 2 (www.dw.com), Deutsche Welle. "Germany's high-speed Internet is lagging behind | Business | DW | 13.03.2015". DW.COM. Retrieved 2017-10-13.
  6. ↑ "What is ICT (information and communications technology, or technologies)? - Definition from WhatIs.com". SearchCIO. Retrieved 2017-10-23.
  7. ↑ GmbH, Germany Trade and Invest. "GTAI - Software Industry". www.gtai.de. Retrieved 2017-10-23.
  8. ↑ "Germany Speedtest Report" . Retrieved 2017-10-23.
  9. ↑ Schleife, Katrin (February 2007). "Regional Versus Individual Aspects of the Digital Divide in Germany" (PDF). Retrieved 2017-10-21.
  10. ↑ "Digital divide closes in Germany | WARC". www.warc.com. Retrieved 2017-10-23.
  11. ↑ "The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov. Retrieved 2017-10-08.
  12. ↑ "IT and telecommunications". make-it-in-germany. Retrieved October 8, 2017.
  13. ↑ "Digital Divide - ICT Information Communications Technology". www.internetworldstats.com. Retrieved 2017-10-08.
  14. ↑ "What comes after those ellipses?". BusinessDictionary.com. Archived from the original on 2017-11-02. Retrieved 2017-10-24.
  15. ↑ Deloitte Digital (July 2015). "Navigating the New Digital Divide, Capitalizing on digital influence in German retail" (PDF). deloitte. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
  16. ↑ "Social Mobility in Northern Europe - The Globalist". The Globalist. 2017-04-08. Retrieved 2017-10-24.
  17. ↑ "Prof. Dr. Reinhard Pollak | WZB". www.wzb.eu. Retrieved 2017-10-24.
  18. 1 2 Welling, Kubicek, Stefan, Herbert (August 2000). MEASURING AND BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE IN GERMANY (PDF). Bremen: Telecommunications Research Group, University Bremen. p. 33.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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