Digital divide in South Korea

Last updated

The digital divide in South Korea refers to inequalities between individuals, households, and other groups of different demographic and socioeconomic levels in South Korea in access to information and communication technologies ("ICTs") and in the knowledge and skills needed to effectively use the information gained from connecting. [1] [2] [3] [4]

Contents

The digital divide in South Korea is mainly caused by the unevenness of economic, regional, physical, or social opportunities, leading to marginalized persons not receiving the benefits that technology can bring. The lack of adaptation to the informatization of social services, such as administration and welfare, results in limited opportunities for basic daily life and social participation. South Korea's information gap was initially due to economic reasons and the difference in the initial cost for using the Internet or PC, but recently there has been a gap between the users of the information according to the degree of utilization of information. [5] As the information society rapidly developed, the distribution of the Internet quickly accelerated in Korea, dividing people into two groups, people who are well adapted to the changes and those who are more familiar with the previous media. Although the percentage of local population with internet access is high in Korea, the average rate of internet usage is 99.9% for the young and 64.3% for the elderly.[ citation needed ]

Drawbacks of digital divide in Korea

South Korea has become a more influential country with bandwidth. GlobalBandwidthConcentration.jpg
South Korea has become a more influential country with bandwidth.

However, the nature of information and knowledge, through commercialization process in capitalism, could make a greater problem than supposition. So, information and knowledge is different from previous products ( shoes, clothes, food so on) in that information and knowledge's cyclic process from creating and application to extinction is most fast. [6] Also, those alteration in quantity and quality is unpredictable. From the nature of information and knowledge, those could make enormous social inequality (ex. class, state, sex, education, region etc.) [7] Furthermore, a global effect feature, one of the information and knowledge's nature, can deepen global inequality and further sharpen the 2080 society, called Pareto's law. [8]

Reasons and correlating variables

Distribution of hardware

The most basic reason is the distribution of hardware. The most basic hardware in the information era is a computer, which creates an information gap between those who have difficulties buying a computer and those who do not. [9] According to the '2016 Information Gap Index and Survey' in South Korea, which conducted by the Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC) on 6,300 people nationwide, while only 53.2% of the underprivileged people have personal computer, the average proportion of whole people are nearly 83%. [10] Computer penetration rates are affected by many correlating variables such as region, education, and income and these variables can issue a complex impact. To overcome this difference, OLPC (One Laptop per child) is developing and also distributing $100 computer. In addition, a project for the free use of the internet such as the fund router project is in progress, but it is not widely available in Korea. As 'ubiquitous' becomes more and more popular, the distribution of small hardware is expected to grow even more and the digital divide is expected to deepen further. [11]

Education

Education is the most relevant part of income in Korea. [12] Children of lower income earners have fewer educational opportunities than higher income earners. [13] For this reason, the children of the low educated are more likely to be a low educated students than those of highly educated people, and this phenomenon leads to a vicious cycle of social inequality. [12] Because the information era is built on capitalism, this vicious circle is likely to lead to current society as well. Education is an important reason of digital divide. [14] Without education on information society, it leads to poverty of information which causes to the economic discrimination. [15] Most of all, considering the characteristics of knowledge which is explosively expanding, if education cannot keep up with the pace of the informational change, it can cause education gap to be more severe. [14] In order to solve this problem, continuous education is much more required rather than short term education. [16]

Age

Age is the largest factor of digital divide in South Korea. Older people, specifically the elderly, are placed at a higher disadvantage compared to the younger generation. With the constant upgrades in technological devices, in which most of them have new features included, the elderly struggle to keep up with these new changes. Additionally, people are bound to acquire new technological skills to be able to utilize the new features of technological devices. However, the elderly fall behind on their technological skill development since they are not quick enough to learn and adapt. With these two issues, the elderly find themselves unable or less likely to enjoy communicating with others and looking up information via the technological devices. [17]

Internet Use

There is a geographical divide in the use of Internet in South Korea. Compared to those who live in Seoul, the capital city of South Korea, those living in other cities do not rely on the Internet as much. This has to do with Seoul having a bunch of systems installed and placed all over the city that other cities do not need a lot of, such as ticketing stations, e-banking stations, electric scooter rentals, and T-money recharging stations. With all these systems implemented in Seoul, this makes Seoul much more technologically advanced compared to other cities and the country side. However, this create a divide in the ability to develop technological skills among the Korean citizens. Those who live in Seoul all their lives are able to pick up new technological skills and keep themselves updated with all the technological changes. On the contrary, for those who live in other urban cities, even though they rely on the Internet heavily, they do not pick up new technological skills as quickly as those who live in Seoul since their cities do not mass implement the systems Seoul heavily relies on. This is the same for those who live on the country side, except that Internet access is much more difficult to get compared to living in any city. Therefore, those who live on the country side tend to not pick up new technological skills quickly nor keep themselves updated with new technological devices being pushed out. [18]

See also

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

Information and communications technology (ICT) is an extensional term for information technology (IT) that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of telecommunications and computers, as well as necessary enterprise software, middleware, storage and audiovisual, that enable users to access, store, transmit, understand and manipulate information.

Editing technology is the use of technology tools in general content areas in education in order to allow students to apply computer and technology skills to learning and problem-solving. Generally speaking, the curriculum drives the use of technology and not vice versa. Technology integration is defined as the use of technology to enhance and support the educational environment. Technology integration in the classroom can also support classroom instruction by creating opportunities for students to complete assignments on the computer rather than with normal pencil and paper. In a larger sense, technology integration can also refer to the use of an integration platform and application programming interface (API) in the management of a school, to integrate disparate SaaS applications, databases, and programs used by an educational institution so that their data can be shared in real-time across all systems on campus, thus supporting students' education by improving data quality and access for faculty and staff.

"Curriculum integration with the use of technology involves the infusion of technology as a tool to enhance the learning in a content area or multidisciplinary setting... Effective technology integration is achieved when students can select technology tools to help them obtain information on time, analyze and synthesize it, and present it professionally to an authentic audience. Technology should become an integral part of how the classroom functions—as accessible as all other classroom tools. The focus in each lesson or unit is the curriculum outcome, not the technology."

Digital literacy is an individual's ability to find, evaluate, and communicate information using typing or digital media platforms. It is a combination of both technical and cognitive abilities in using information and communication technologies to create, evaluate, and share information.

The knowledge divide is the gap between those who can find, create, manage, process, and disseminate information or knowledge, and those who are impaired in this process. According to a 2005 UNESCO World Report, the rise in the 21st century of a global information society has resulted in the emergence of knowledge as a valuable resource, increasingly determining who has access to power and profit. The rapid dissemination of information on a potentially global scale as a result of new information media and the globally uneven ability to assimilate knowledge and information has resulted in potentially expanding gaps in knowledge between individuals and nations. The digital divide is an extension of the knowledge divide, dividing people who have access to the internet and those who do not. The knowledge divide also represents the inequalities of knowledge among different identities, including but not limited to race, economic status, and gender.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sociology of the Internet</span> Analysis of Internet communities through sociology

The sociology of the Internet involves the application of sociological or social psychological theory and method to the Internet as a source of information and communication. The overlapping field of digital sociology focuses on understanding the use of digital media as part of everyday life, and how these various technologies contribute to patterns of human behavior, social relationships, and concepts of the self. Sociologists are concerned with the social implications of the technology; new social networks, virtual communities and ways of interaction that have arisen, as well as issues related to cyber crime.

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.

The digital divide is described as the characterization of the gap between individuals or countries that have access to technology and individuals or countries that do not. This also includes, but is not limited to: access to computers, internet, and information literacy. General contributions to the digital divide are geography and next generational users. Next generational users are more involved with using devices that can connect to the internet, while the geography factor focuses more on how an individual's location put them at an advantage or disadvantage to compete with the digital age. However, only a handful on people and communities are being represented. Underdeveloped geographical locations, like certain regions of the continent of Africa serves as one of the underrepresented minorities. In particular, South Africa faces many developmental problems that make it one of the more complex societies in the world to map the digital divide in. The country is divided by ethnic inequality and discrepancies in the level of development between different sectors. These obstacles result in disparities in access to information and communications technology (ICT). This disparity is commonly known as the digital divide. There has been another major contributor, namely, Telkom and its monopolistic hold on the progress of ICT in South Africa. South Africa faces unique challenges in addressing the digital divide, including ethnic inequality, disparities in development levels between different sectors, and a historically monopolistic telecommunications industry. Efforts to bridge the digital divide in South Africa involve a combination of government initiatives, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), non-profit organizations (NPOs), and public-private partnerships, all working towards increasing access to technology, promoting digital literacy, and enhancing digital skills among the population.

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

The digital divide in Canada refers to the discrepancy that exists between Canadians who have access to information and communication technologies (ICT) and the benefits they provide compared to those who do not. This divide can be the result of many factors, including high costs for technology and online access, differences in the availability of online connectivity resources in different locations across the country, and lacking digital literacy. The digital divide in Canada also stems from income inequality among Canadians and differences in online practices exhibited by those of different age, gender, first language, and cultural background.

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

The digital divide is a term used to describe the disadvantage in access to information which people without access to ICT suffer. Nigeria's digital divide refers to the inequality of Nigerian individuals, groups, or organizations with regard to access to Information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure or to the internet for daily activities. The digital divide has been attributed to many factors among which is the high cost of computer equipment, lack of ICT skill and poor knowledge of available search engines. Lack of access to ICT makes it difficult for people to access information. The benefits of having access to ICT are numerous. ICT has the potential to promote other sectors of the economy such as agriculture, education, health, bank, defence etc. In times of emergency, ICT becomes an indispensable tool for overcoming the barriers of time and distance. Education, lack of electrical infrastructure, income, urban drift, and a variety of other social and political factors contribute to Nigeria's growing digital divide.

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

The digital divide in Malaysia refers to the gap between people who have access to certain technologies within the country of Malaysia. The presence of the digital divide is due to several factors that include age, location, and wealth, all of which can contribute to the gap in availability of information communication technology (ICT). Malaysia is not a fully developed country, which has led some researchers to express concern that the limited access to ICT may cause the country to fall even further behind in the progress of worldwide technology if this issue is not addressed and mended.

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

The digital divide is an economic and social inequality with regard to access to, use of, or impact of information and communication technologies (ICT). Factors causing the divide can vary depending on the country and culture, as can the potential solutions for minimizing or closing the divide.

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

The digital divide in Thailand refers to the economic, educational, and social inequalities between the Thai people who have access to information and communications technology (ICT) and those who do not. Thailand is a developing country within Southeast Asia, and is currently confronted with this problem. There are a number of factors that determine the digital divide within a country, including income, choice of technologies and socioeconomic factors. ICT development and mobile penetration are strongly correlated with economic growth and social benefits.

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

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.

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.

The data divide is the unequal relationship between those capable of collecting, storing, mining, and general management of immense volumes of data, and those whose data is collected. Using the framework of the digital divide, the data divide posits that the evolving nature of data and big data has created divisions and inequalities in data ownership, access, analysis, collection, and the manipulation of personal data generated by information and communications technologies (ICTs).

References

  1. ↑ Norris, P. 2001. Digital divide: Civic engagement, information poverty and the Internet world- wide. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge Univ. Press.
  2. ↑ "FALLING THROUGH THE NET: A Survey of the "Have Nots" in Rural and Urban America". doc.gov.
  3. ↑ Patricia, J.P. 2003. 'E-government, E-Asean Task force, UNDP-APDIP'(PDF)
  4. ↑ Mossberger, K., C.J. Tolbert, and M. Stansbury. 2003. Virtual inequality: Beyond the digital divide. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press.
  5. ↑ "정보격차(Digital Divide)". DooSan Dictionary. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  6. ↑ "탈산업화 네이버 지식백과(De-industrialization on Naver 지식백과)" . Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  7. ↑ 고, 영복 (30 October 2000). "사회학사전(Sociology Dictionary)". Naver Book. 사회문화연구소.
  8. ↑ "pareto's law on HanKyung Dictionary" . Retrieved 15 September 2005.
  9. ↑ Robinson, Laura; Cotten, Shelia R.; Ono, Hiroshi; Quan-Haase, Anabel; Mesch, Gustavo; Chen, Wenhong; Schulz, Jeremy; Hale, Timothy M.; Stern, Michael J. (2015). "Digital inequalities and why they matter on Taylor & Francis Online". Information, Communication & Society. 18 (5): 569–582. doi:10.1080/1369118X.2015.1012532. S2CID   143689373.
  10. ↑ "2016 Information Gap Index and Survey". www.nia.or.kr (in Korean). Retrieved 2017-11-07.
  11. ↑ Park, HanWoo (Summer 2007), The Digital Divide in South Korea (PDF), vol. 1, p. 8, archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-11-07 – via journal
  12. 1 2 SeHwan, Bak (31 July 2017). "South Korea to offer more education support for low-income groups". the Korea Herald. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
  13. ↑ C.Taylor, Tess. "The relationship between education and income on "lovetoknow"". lovetoknow.com.
  14. 1 2 Tustin, Rachel. "Bridging the Digital Divide in Education". study.com.
  15. ↑ Alexbeard. "Addressing inequality in the digital era". alexbeard.org. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  16. ↑ carty, winthrop. "Public Education's Information Gap". nacla.org.
  17. ↑ Jun, Woochun (January 2021). "A Study on Cause Analysis of Digital Divide among Older People in Korea". International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 18 (16): 8586. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18168586 . ISSN   1660-4601. PMC   8393609 . PMID   34444334.
  18. ↑ Hwang, Joo-Seong (2004-06-01). "Digital Divide in Internet Use Within the Urban Hierarchy: The Case of South Korea". Urban Geography. 25 (4): 372–389. doi:10.2747/0272-3638.25.4.372. ISSN   0272-3638. S2CID   145794204.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.