Free Paper Sample on Social Impacts of Digital Inclusion in Contemporary Society

Introduction

The digital divide is the inequality in accessing ICT and the internet, and it exists in different forms, which include access divide, use split, and the gap that exists in the quality use of digital platforms (Rouse. 2014). Access to the technological divide is a result of the socio-economic differences, as the technology could be costly for individuals who have little or no income. Use divide occurs due to the lack of digital skills, and the quality of use gap happens when individuals have the knowledge to use ICT platforms. Still, they lack the knowledge on how to fully utilize the internet to get the most out of it. Technological discrimination deprives individuals of the essential technical resources that get required for development. The digital divide enhances the lack of isolation and the lack of communication within the affected communities (Camacho.2006). The lack of internet access makes individuals to get disconnected from the rest of the world, and this leads to social isolation.

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The reason behind social differences that exclude some individuals from accessing employment opportunities is a result of the digital divide (Mracek. 2018). Digital illiteracy prevents people from getting employed, and this negatively affects the economy.

Consequences of Digital Exclusion

The lack of digital inclusion prevents individuals from accessing information and communication technologies (Hawkins. 2018). Such a negative impact affects the whole community that experiences digital exclusion. The lack of digital inclusion prevents economic and workforce development in the affected districts. Research has it that more men, as compared to women, are most likely to experience digital exclusion. This factor results in gender discrimination within the regions where women can access and utilize technology. The lack of digital inclusion enhances high rates of illiteracy due to the lack of essential information that can become accessed through digital platforms.

Digital exclusion poses a real problem for individuals who find themselves on the other side of the digital divide. Such individuals range from low-income earners, those living in rural communities, the elderly, and the minorities, among others. The lack of digital inclusion prevents organizational development and prohibits advancement within rural communities and regions that become populated with low-income earners. The new job markets require individuals to have some background knowledge in ICT. A large percentage of job offers have digital components that block out individuals who become digitally excluded.

The unintended consequences due to the lack of digital inclusion include isolation, especially in the elderly who cannot catch up with new technological advancement. Such individuals can hardly access the services that are provided online because of illiteracy (Ryngbeck. 2017). The older people feel like they are locked out and cannot join the rest of the world. Lack of communication is another aspect that results from digital isolation and is unintentional. Poverty hinders people from accessing the internet serviced due to the high costs associated with technology. This factor makes such individuals become excluded even if they are willing to utilize the internet. Poor people lack the necessary resources to access modern technology (Soltan).

The unintended consequences result when individuals can do nothing about the fact that they cannot access the internet. Such circumstances could be permanent, and they are unavoidable. However, digital exclusion can be avoided by people who have access to the internet and can utilize ICT platforms by getting the required training.

Roles of Information Professionals

Just like any other workers, information professionals must be ethical while performing their functions. The ethical guidelines that have become available in information ethics offer a moral framework that can be used by Information professionals to carry out various tasks such as the acquisition, storage, processing, and utilizing online information. Just like the information professionals, library users can face challenges because ICT-information drives modern society; hence their work experiences more problems than how it was before the digital era (Thompson,2014). However, the code of ethics, as provided by the government, gives information professionals an outline on how they should discharge their duties while adhering to ethical and moral regulations.

An information profession within a government organization is required to advocate for digital inclusion in the information society by educating their peers about the essence of embracing technology in the digital era (Burns, 2016). Regarding the fact that digital inclusion requires technological devices to access the internet, Information professionals should advocate for the installation of computers within the workplace and individuals who lack digital literacy to get adequate training on the same. Installation of digital devices is a step that would ensure all people can utilize the internet. Maximizing the skills, the workers, and technological knowledge provides workers with an opportunity to use technology in the workplace productively. Information professionals should advocate for digital inclusion to build more confidence in people to embrace digital technology.

The isolated seniors within the organization should provide with gargets such as iPad that can get used to access technology. Involving the elderly is a step that has helped them to access a variety of online programs even when they are away from the workplace. Most individuals become digitally excluded due to the high costs of technology. Digital expert professions should address this issue within the workplace by providing free internet access for all employees. Affordable internet provides everyone with equal chances to access and utilize technology.

Digital literacy is an essential aspect of organizations that have embraced modern technology. Technology professionals should offer training sessions to educate employees on how to utilize technology in the workplace fully. The variety of online training platforms that are available to all workers makes it easy for them to deal with the challenges that they could experience when using the internet (Burns, 2016). The knowledge about the importance of digital inclusion is paramount to my employees so that they get a grasp of why it essential for them to be literate.

Conclusion

The current economy requires ICT knowledge to keep growing. This aspect requires me to educate employees about the impacts of new technology on the marketplace, for instance, how it relates to the stock market. ICT plays a significant role in all forms of businesses because it is the drive behind the improved output in most firms. Knowledge and ideas are considerable resources in the digital economy. Internet users need to know how they should protect their knowledge and ideas, which is by the application of intellectual Property Rights. The internment empowers copyright holders through the technological tools that protect and monitor the use of copyrights.

References

Burns.J. (2016). Role of the information professional in the development and promotion of digital humanities content for research, teaching, and learning in the modern academic library: An Irish case study. Taylor & Francis.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13614533.2016.1191520?journalCode=racl20

Hawkins. V. (2018). The role of the digital divide in poverty. Medium.
https://medium.com/@librariesval/the-role-of-the-digital-divide-in-poverty-813c395a9a29

Rouse. M. (2014). What is the digital divide? - Definition from WhatIs.com. WhatIs.com.
https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/digital-divide

Ryngbeck. A., (2017). Digital exclusion – the unintended consequences of technology | Social platform. https://www.socialplatform.org/blog/digital-exclusion-the-unintended-consequences-of-technology/

Thompson, K. M., Jaeger, P. T., Taylor, N. G., Subramaniam, M., & Bertot, J. C. (2014). Digital literacy and digital inclusion: Information policy and the public library.
https://researchoutput.csu.edu.au/en/publications/digital-literacy-and-digital-inclusion-information-policy-and-the