Introduction
The topic of interest for the given research is the digital divide. (research question) Is there a digital divide responsible for inequalities and differences between nations and populations? The first argument is that people tend to view gaps as polarized without properly acknowledging the existence of a large majority in the middle.
The second argument is that focusing on the extremes of any issue is perceived as a gap. The main reason is that there is usually an instinct to overlook the majority and focus on opposites and extremes, thinking that the problem is dire when the problem does not really exist. The second reason is that comparing extremes results in a distorted perspective, creating an illusion of a gap or divide.
Thesis: The global digital divide results from a distorted view, a misconception derived from the human gap instinct. The existence of the digital divide can be disproved by looking at the majority and whether or not experts recognize it as a problem.
The Digital Divide Through the Lens of the Gap Instinct
Defining the Digital Divide and Its Modern Implications
Firstly, the latter term must be adequately defined to comprehensively discuss and analyze the digital divide. The digital divide primarily refers to the gap between people, populations, businesses, communities, and nations concerning overall access to digital technologies, such as communication and information. In most cases, the digital divide is about the disparity in access to the internet, computers, cell phones, and other related services since these constitute essential technology in the modern age (Aissaoui 690). Access can be hindered due to many factors, including digital literacy, infrastructure, and the costs of technologies. Since a significant portion of economic activity takes place through the internet using essential technology, the lack of access in one group would severely disadvantage them.
As a result, the digital divide would entail some groups, businesses, or nations lagging economically behind their peers, primarily due to this gap. The divide would create significant disparities in social mobility, economic growth, business development, employment, and education. Therefore, there is a strong justification to understand whether or not the digital divide is fundamental in the modern world, since its existence would mean the need to address the problem for the benefit of all humanity. The following section will discuss how the digital divide is connected to Rosling et al.’s ideas on the gap instinct.
Understanding the Gap Instinct in Rosling et al.’s Framework
Secondly, the first chapter of Rosling et al.’s book titled Factfulness introduces the reader to the gap instinct, which is highly relevant to the digital divide. The key point is that the gap instinct results from looking at the extremes of a phenomenon and separating the outliers into two distinct groups, all the while overlooking the majority in the middle. Evidence states, “The reality is often not polarized at all. Usually the majority is right in the middle, where the gap is supposed to be. To control the gap instinct, look for the majority” (Rosling et al. 30).
In other words, the gap instinct is a misconception in human thinking and pattern recognition when presented with a comparison of groups. Instead of correctly interpreting the extremes as two ends of a significant statistical spread, the gap instinct compels a person to conclude that these are two distinct groups completely separated. In reality, the gap instinct makes an observer of a phenomenon ‘blind’ to the large majority in the middle, where there is supposed to be a gap separating these two extremes. This ‘blindness’ is the key problem, constituting a major misconception and misunderstanding of the facts.
The most effective way to counter the gap instinct is to look at the majority alongside the presented extremes. One needs to beware of the distorted perspective when looking at a problem by being careful when comparing extremes. Therefore, the next section will look at whether there is a large majority when one analyzes the digital divide as a global issue.
Identifying the Majority in Global Smartphone Access
Thirdly, the digital divide is a product of the gap instinct because the majority have access to essential technology. Despite outliers at the top and bottom, most people tend to fall within the middle section, where the perceived divide is assumed to exist. Data indicates that over 5.22 billion people use smartphones worldwide, accounting for 66% of the global population (“Number of Smartphone and Mobile Phone Users” par. 1). The latter means that a large majority of people have access to the most critical technology – smartphones. This fact is indicative that a substantial portion of the population can utilize crucial digital tools for communication, information, and access to essential services.
Assessing Global Access to Internet, Software, and Digital Platforms
Fourthly, on top of smartphones, the argument for the existence of the digital divide is considerably diminished because most people have access to the internet, electricity, digital entertainment, social media, and key software. For instance, Facebook has almost 3 billion active users and even more registered accounts, which would not be possible if there were a significant gap (Maiti et al. 85). This represents a significant majority of the global population, which indicates that social media is available for all individuals irrespective of the extremes.
The same pattern can be observed regarding software, such as Windows, which is installed in practically all personal computers worldwide. As a result, disparities in digital access are significantly mitigated, allowing for increased opportunities for social and economic inclusion across various demographics. The following section will further demonstrate how the significant majority exists, disproving the digital divide.
Evaluating Technology Access in the World’s Most Populous Nations
Fifthly, the widespread access to technology in the two largest nations in the world shows that there is a significant majority on the global level. When looking at whether or not there is a digital divide worldwide, one should search for a majority, with the best candidates being the two most populous nations, such as India and China. A key piece of evidence is that almost the entire population of India and China has access to basic technology, and they comprise more than a third of the global population (Maiti et al. 237).
Therefore, most people have access to and possess the technology and digital solutions, eliminating the myth about a gap. More specifically, China is a heavily industrialized and digitalized country on the world stage, with leading digital technologies dominating their respective markets. Combining the highly developed and digitally advanced West and China alone showcases that the digital divide is a mere gap in perception and misconception.
Recognizing How Widespread Technology Shrinks Perceived Extremes
Sixthly, the widespread availability of basic technology in these densely populated regions signifies that technology does not create disparity but moves the extremes closer to the majority. Both India and China demonstrate a high level of access to technology globally, which facilitates a more interconnected world where knowledge and resources can be shared with relative ease. For example, YouTube is available to most people in the world, and each user can find valuable educational content to learn new skills or knowledge (Maiti et al. 99).
The latter means that more than 5 billion people with smartphones can acquire education through e-learning platforms or other free services. Such a large number of people constitutes a majority in its direct definition, indicating the lack of a gap. Thus, the digital divide is the gap in misconception and has no gap, so one should look at whether the digital divide results from a distorted view next.
Exploring Distorted Perceptions That Create the Illusion of a Divide
Seventhly, the digital divide stems from a misperception arising from a distorted understanding. Observing from a biased perspective and looking at the extremes can lead to misconceptions about reality. Rosling et al. state that one should “remember, looking down from above distorts the view. Everything else looks equally short, but it’s not” (30).
Human perception, the media, the internet, and other communication channels tend to notice the extremes because they are more shocking or attention-grabbing. For example, likely, the vast majority of people cannot afford the latest iPhones. Still, the brand is irrelevant as long as they have a smartphone and internet access.
One can better understand the true nature of the divide and avoid overemphasizing its extent by focusing on the fundamental aspects of digital access. As a result, the ‘boring’ majority of ordinary people are overlooked, creating an illusion of a digital divide in the media space. This distorted perspective on the issue of the digital divide can be showcased further by presenting information on the effects of the divide.
Questioning Whether the Digital Divide Produces Clear Effects
Eighthly, when one attempts to identify and observe the direct effects of the digital divide, determining these consequences clearly becomes problematic, showcasing that the divide is a misconception. The existing literature on the digital divide was not able to identify how the digital divide affects nations and populations. Aissaoui states that the socioeconomic effect of the digital divide can only be identified at the third-level range, which means the digital divide’s direct and secondary impacts are not noticeable and significant (686). In other words, the effect of the digital divide can be considered nonexistent because evidence must show a direct causal relationship for the digital divide to be a real problem.
Analyzing Confounding Variables That Skew Perceptions of Inequality
Ninthly, if noticing the issue is only possible after the digital divide is viewed from a broader perspective, the perspective becomes distorted. In a sense, the latter results from confounding variables, where many factors contribute to an observed outcome. In other words, one might observe some disparity between the two nations and attribute this inequality to the digital divide.
However, the most likely reality is that these nations have divergent economies, education, populations, geopolitical positions, resources, and political systems (Maiti et al. 53). One cannot simply rule out the contribution of these massive confounding factors to isolate and identify the existence of the digital divide. For such a gap to exist, the effects of the digital divide must be observable and strong enough to attribute some causality to the given digital disparity alone. Thus, since the digital divide results from a distorted perspective, one should consider whether experts, professionals, and academics fully recognize the issue.
Considering Why Scholars Do Not Problematize the Digital Divide
Tenthly, the digital divide is a gap in misconception because the digital divide is an overdramatized issue that is not even recognized as a global problem. One should be cautious of means comparisons since examining the data distribution may reveal overlapping ranges, indicating a lack of a gap. For example, Lythreatis et al. state that the digital divide is not problematized by the community of scholars and academics (1). In other words, professionals and experts do not see the digital divide as an issue. The fact that scholars and academics do not problematize the digital divide indicates that the digital divide is not as significant as the issue is often portrayed, or simply a significant gap in misconception.
Reassessing the Digital Divide in Light of Global Technological Equality
Finally, the situation with technology around the globe is equal primarily when one considers the essential types of technological solutions. In other words, while there may be disparities in access to cutting-edge or luxury technology, most people worldwide have access to basic technologies essential for modern life. In addition, most technologies have not remained in the domain of the ‘inaccessible’ for a long time.
A clear example is artificial intelligence (AI), which was mostly confined to specific industries and research laboratories. However, the recent well-known AI explosion, such as ChatGPT, became one of the most used services online with the fastest-growing user base (Hu par. 1). Essentially, the digital divide is not worth raising awareness about or being fearful of since there is no gap as such. The notion of a digital divide creates a sense of fear or urgency. The latter leads to misplaced resources and efforts to bridge a gap that is a product of the gap instinct misconception.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the digital divide is a misconception because a considerable majority have access to technology. The notion of a digital divide stems from a skewed perspective, and neither experts nor academics consider the digital divide a genuine issue. The primary argument is that individuals often perceive disparities through a polarized lens, neglecting the presence of a sizable majority between extremes.
The secondary argument is that concentrating on the extremes of any matter gives the impression of a gap. The principal reason is that people tend to have the predisposition to ignore the majority and fixate on extreme ends, believing the situation is critical when, in reality, the problem is nonexistent. The alternative reason is that juxtaposing extremes generates a warped viewpoint, leading to the illusion of a disparity or divide. A flawed misconception is made in both instances, where one recognizes a gap without acknowledging the majority.
Works Cited
“Number of Smartphone and Mobile Phone Users Worldwide in 2022/2023.” FinancesOnline, 2023. Web.
Aissaoui, Najeh. “The Digital Divide: A Literature Review and Some Directions for Future Research in Light of COVID-19.” Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication, vol. 71, no. 8/9, 2022, pp. 686-708. Web.
Hu, Krystal. “ChatGPT Sets Record for Fastest-Growing User Base – Analyst Note.” Medieval Fragments, 2022. Web.
Lythreatis, Sophie, et al. “The Digital Divide: A Review and Future Research Agenda.” Technological Forecasting and Social Change, vol. 175, no. 121359, 2022, pp. 1-9. Web.
Maiti, Dibyendu, et al. Digitalization and Development. Springer, 2020.
Rosling, Hans, et al. Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World–and Why Things Are Better Than You Think. Flatiron Books, 2018.