Shrinking the Digital Divide to Improve Health

An article titled “Health education and the digital divide: building bridges and filling chasms” argues that “lack of access to information technology can have profound negative implications for one’s economic, social and physical health and well-being,” and I agree with this point. They believe that ICTs have the capability to improve health outcomes for the world because ICTs allow people to access health information. Today, many people in the world get their health information from ICTs: they seek out information on the internet, or are sent health information by organizations/ services they subscribe to via email or SMS messaging. People often use this information that they find online to make educated decisions about their health care. The ideas presented in this article are consistent with what I have learned in my Public Health and International Development classes at Tulane.

This article opens up a conversation about how beneficial ICTs, especially access to the internet, could be for developing countries. Since many citizens of developing countries often do not have the resources to visit a doctor whenever they want to, it would be extraordinarily helpful for them to be able to receive or search for health information online to determine whether the symptoms they are experiencing are worrisome or not, so they can decide whether to access health services or not. Working to extend the internet and mobiles to under-served communities will give the poor an opportunity to improve their health. Failure to address the digital divide and get ICTs to the citizens in developing countries and under-served in developed countries will widen health disparities between the developed and developing world.

Although internet access for all is the desired goal to shrink the digital divide and improve health according to the article above, many organizations and countries are taking steps in the right direction by starting initiatives to provide health information to under-served communities via SMS text messaging on mobile phones. This idea has proved to be a great alternative for communities that have no access to the internet. For example, the World Health Organization came up with the “M-check project” which is a system designed to decrease maternal and infant mortality in developing countries. Essentially, when a pregnant woman accesses a health center her phone is registered with the “M-check project” and she is sent SMS messages containing ‘safety checklists’. These checklists include danger signs for mothers look out for in themselves and their infants in the week or two after delivery. The system also sends daily reminders to the mothers to check their safety lists. There is also a feature that allows women to call the ‘M-check’ info system, where they are connected with help to work through any questions or concerns that they have, and they can also be connected to an ambulance and taken to a local health service if necessary. This system is using ICTs to change the way that mothers are able to promote and protect their health. This project is contributing to the closure of the digital divide and health disparities by allowing people in need to access health information via ICTs. Clearly, even relatively simple ICTs can improve health outcomes for the developing world.

San Diego Takes Impressive Steps to Shrink the Digital Divide

This past week in class, we have discussed the stark digital divide between developing and developed countries around the world, as individuals in many parts of the world are severely restricted in terms of access to, use of, or knowledge of information and communication technologies.   In our reading, we learned that some countries in Africa such as Burundi, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, and Niger all have less than 1 Internet user per 100 people,  according to Tim Unwin in, “ICT4D: Information and Communication Technologies for Developmen.” What we too often forget however is that this concept of digital divide is not addressing solely impoverished third world countries across the Atlantic & Pacific Oceans, but rather also within our own borders in even seemingly wealthy urban areas.

San Diego, city known for its lovely climate and extensive beaches also has roughly 29 percent of the population lacking access to Internet at home. The San Diego Office of Education has not however accepted this as an inevitable circumstance and has teamed up with local businesses and non-profits to launch its “Unlimited Access” Program. It provides families with a “broadband device and a refurbished, three-year-old desktop valued at $950” (http://goo.gl/9JxJW  for the full article). This ambitious program aims to provide all households in the San Diego County with internet, which the county superintendent of schools deems as an absolutely necessary prerequisite to succeeding in one’s education. The program has provided computers to 1,500 families since 2010, including most recently to students from migrant worker families. At least within the United States, the Digital Economy Rankings 2010  claim that the global digital divide is narrowing seems to hold true.

This program seems to be establishing a model for cities all over the country to eradicate the ever-restricting digital divide. After working in several educational settings in the New Orleans region, I would argue that the city could potentially use a similar program. Would you all agree? Is providing computers to all these families productive in enhancing their quality our life or is it going to result in wasted resources that are not put to the intended use?

To help analyze this issues even further, one could check out Maine’s program which provides an IPAD to every kindergartner and laptop to every student from seventh-grade on up in the state. The state’s investment in technology seems to boast of a high success rate. To read article: http://goo.gl/oBtuf

How do you close the gap between the usages of cellular device and the usage of Internet in Cambodia? A look into the ITC Indicators for Cambodia and the effects on the country.

As an introduction to this course ICT4D, we initially discussed the various aspects of Information and Communication Technologies and the effects that technological access to Internet and Cellular phones has on the development of a nation.  According to many studies including The Digital Economy Rankings of 2010 produced by The Economist Intelligence Unit “The Internet is now fundamental to commercial and social prosperity”, therefore in order for a developing country to thrive socially and economically it should aim to provide affordable access to such communication tools for the general population. Not only does the access to Internet benefit economic and social endeavors it also causes a huge impact on educators and students as it provides stronger educational resources.

Throughout the past four years, I have grown increasingly aware of the problems associated with education in countries such as Fiji, Cambodia, and Laos. Having traveled to these respective countries on volunteer trips working in schools and orphanages I have become more and more passionate about the development of education in developing countries. While I was in Cambodia no schools I visited had computers accessible to the students and the only access to Internet I could find was through an Internet Café down the street from my hotel. Although it did seem like there was low accessibility to technology, according to a report created by ITU, a United Nations Agency whose focus is on ICTs, “Cambodia is a textbook example of wireless boosting telecommunication development. It was the first country in the world where mobile telephone subscribers overtook fixed ones back in 1993. Cambodia began the millennium with more than four out of five telephone subscribers using a wireless phone, the highest ratio in the world.” In relation to class discussion this idea of skipping over landlines straight to mobile phones is called the Leapfrogging Effect. Is it curious that a country with such a high percentage of citizens who live below the poverty line is one of the first countries to experience high demand in cellular devices?

In recent years, with the growing popularity of reaching millennium goals and sustainable development government agencies and NGOs have paired up and measured different countries ICTs. According to the American Central Intelligence Agency’s World Fact-book in 2011 Cambodia was 95^th in the world for main- line telephone users (530,000) and 57^th for cellular phone users (13, 757), however as of 2009 Cambodia was 167^th in country comparison for Internet users (78,500). This large differential between the numbers of phones versus Internet shows that although Cambodia is in the right direction towards lessening the Digital Divide and provides adequate coverage in urban areas, it also represents a Digital Divide within itself and demonstrates how economical and social aspects of Cambodian society may be negatively impacted due to this minimal access. Not having available computers and Internet for students has seriously impaired their education that is only free in the mornings as well as the Cambodian business industry.

What is it that NGOs can do to help expand the access to Internet and broadband? What does Cambodia, the government and the general population, have to do to improve their living standards, education, and further develop their country?

Bill Clinton Forecasts the End of the Digital Divide

 

Though the article title is perhaps optimistic, Salon’s recent “Smartphones Bust up the Digital Divide” provides a succinct outline of some numerical evidence of the recent global explosion of smartphone usage as well as its potential benefits in the developing world. The article cites data which states that in December of 2012, 23% of global website visits were conducted via mobile device, and this number continues to climb. Though it’s difficult to establish the exact effects that smartphones have had on the digital divide to date, Andrew Leonard points out the incredible advantages in efficiency offered by mobile devices and suggests that these benefits can and will be exploited on an ever-more-global scale. The article also cites Bill Clinton’s recent speech at the Consumer Electronics show (which has drawn negative attention for statements regarding gun control) in which he emphasized the economic and social benefits of Internet access via smartphone in developing countries. Though the William J Clinton Foundation has not previously demonstrated a focus on ICT4D, public endorsement by such a widely respected figure marks an important step for the field.

Another important statistic to note is that holiday PC sales fell this winter for the first time in 5 years, highlighting the ongoing paradigm shift in the field of computing and info tech. Indeed, the article mentions several times the “implosion of the now ancient desktop/laptop regime.” That being said, I’m not convinced that pocket-sized smartphone devices will ever fully eclipse the use of larger desktop computers for things like word processing and textual research. Cool stuff, though.

The Digital Divide in San Francisco

This week in class, we have studied the Digital Divide. We’ve noted that the digital divide is not one, single divide — it’s not just the divide between the developed world and the developing.   While many look at the divide from an international perspective, it obviously exists within the United States as well and is important to keep in mind. Therefore, I wanted to take a look at the divide that exists in San Francisco, where I’m from.

Scott James, a columnist for the Bay Citizen and for the New York Times, writes that the divide in San Francisco is most prevalent in the Latino community. James splits up the numbers of internet users into groups, and found that 82% of whites have internet at home, 77% of Asians do, and 70% of blacks also have internet at home, in comparison with just 50% of the Latino community. These numbers are severe, as internet both at home and in the office are fundamental for anyone who wants to communicate with the world and enter the global age. These numbers are also striking considering that the San Francisco Bay Area is known as the one of the “techiest” and innovate areas in the world — yet the innovation and success has not been felt equally in the area.

Fortunately, there are many NGOs in San Francisco that are working to bridge this divide. One such NGO, called Caminos, works to “enable low-income, Latina immigrants to create opportunities for self and economic improvement through access to technology”. They believe that through their work, they can help the Latino community break the repeating cycle of poverty and social isolation.

Coal Discovery in Mozambique Leaves the Poor Behind, Enhancing the “Digital Divide”

An article in the NY Times demonstrates just how difficult it is for those living in rural areas of an already extremely impoverished country to improve their standards of living. The article discusses the recent discovery of coal in Mozambique and how such a discovery will provide a massive economic boom for the country. However, the money that would flow in from the mega-project ($6 billion) will hardly help improve the livelihood of its residents, according to a report by USAID that was addressed in the article.

The untapped coal was discovered in an area where already many people were living. In order to extract the coal, all of the people living there had to move. Most of the villagers thought this project would bring jobs and a brighter future. Instead they were moved 25 miles away and are faring worse than they were before.

While I was reading the article, I kept wondering how people who live so far below the poverty line in countries rich with resources can use ICTs to their benefit. In the case of Mozambique, it seemed almost intangible for many communities to ever reach a point in which they could seriously benefit from ICTs. It also begged the question of how we can exploit the natural riches of a country and then channel the resources derived from such in order to benefit those who most deserve it – something that seems is taking a very long time to actually happen.

Even though the article didn’t directly address ICTs, it was nonetheless a serious indicator of some of the obstacles facing ICT4D, especially in the “bottom billion” countries. After having discussed the digital divide in class, it was clear that there are still so many places not even close to being able to close the gap – especially the rural and marginalized.

Measuring ICTS: End of Digital Divide in 5 Years?

Every year IBM releases its annual “5 in 5” list which consists of the company’s’ predictions of emerging technology trends that will effect our lives in the next five years. CNN wrote an article discussing their No. 4 prediction, claiming that the digital divide will vanish within the following five years due to ubiquitous mobile technology. This is a bold statement. Although ICT reports demonstrate that mobile phone usage is growing at exponential rates, surpassing other technological means of communication, it is unlikely that mobile phone usage alone will lead the to closing of the digital divide. Indeed, the ever-increasing number of mobile phone users will contribute to the narrowing of the divide, but an increase in mobile phones alone will not close the gap entirely. What do you think?

Depending on how you define the gap of the digital divide, those considered to have access or not changes, for example, in defining who has and doesn’t have high-speed internet access. Measuring this becomes rather difficult and the reporter brings forward a good point of what is deemed “fast enough” in online access when technology seems to be limitless in its’ advancements. This  made me think of the reports we discussed in class and how this could be a large obstacle in terms of measuring.  Moreover, with each time data is collected, one year may consider a certain bandwidth/internet speed/network as defined as a “high-speed internet user,” whereas within a couple years there most likely will be an even higher internet speed being used elsewhere. Thus as technology continues to advance faster and faster as we move forward into the future,  how do we go about tracking ICTs internationally most effectively?

Below is the article I referred to:
http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/17/tech/mobile/ibm-digital-divide-gahran/index.html

Information Design, ICT Development, and Education

The Internet is a rich resource. In the past decade, information design, the practice of presenting information in a way that fosters efficient and effective understanding of it and access to it, in the United States has progressed to a point where anyone with access to the Internet can immerse themselves in an educational rich dimension. However, the effectiveness in this progression is dependent on the information actually reaching the user. This past week in class, we read the International Telecommunication Union’s annual report that measured the information societies in 155 different countries across countries currently classified as developed, developing, and undeveloped. The report used three variables to create an index for ICT development: ICT use, ICT access, and ICT skills. Prior to reading this report, I had narrowly considered the impediments to ICT access to be solely physical, political, and economic- mainly what ICT use and ICT access encompass. However, having ICT skills as the third variable, allowed me to think about how important other, more social factors, like education is in the equation of ICT and development.

In reading the report, I was unimpressed by the United State’s ranking as 15^th on the ICT Development Index (p. 21). The importance of lessening the digital divide here in the United States, especially here in New Orleans, has a greater implication now that I have taken education into account when thinking of ICT and development. The report holds that education is an important factor in a country’s ICT development, and consequently that ICT development and education is an important factor in the overall development of a country. That is why the intersection of ICT access and education is so significant.

There is a wealth of information available to the web user. Over the past decade, there has been a shift in the field of information design to create user interfaces that are simple and accessible, alleviating barriers to knowledge that have existed in the past. Web sites like TED talks and Khan Academy provide entry into a world of expert knowledge that would not have been commonly accessible to the majority of the population in years past. You no longer have to be accepted into ultra exclusive and expensive universities to have access to the quality of information that their students are exposed to. Models like Academic Earth and Stamford U allow classes from the world’s most prestigious colleges like Columbia, Cornell, Carnegie Mellon, Dartmouth, Harvard, NYU, Oxford, Princeton, Rice, UC Berkeley, and Yale to be accessed by anyone with Internet. In my opinion, the importance of providing such access to these academic resources, in way of ICT development, is greater today because of the growing amount of information that is now available through the Internet. These resources have the potential to enhance the quality of education available to the American person, contributing to a better-educated population and therefore, contributing to the development of the country it self.

eGovernment and ICT Advancements in Jigawa, Nigeria

In a 2012 study of Jigawa, a poor state in the Northern part of Nigeria, the University of Portsmouth-based authors highlights the state government’s work on eGovernment as a strategy toward the advancement of ICT and economic development. The Nigerian government has been investing large amounts of their budget to advance their technological sector, and Jigawa is now seen as the “pacesetter” of eGovernment in Nigeria. As we discussed in class and have read in the Unwin readings, ICT promotes opportunities for development in the political, economic as well as socio-cultural sectors. The Nigerian government has begun to pave the way for ICT advancements by deregulating and privatizing the sector.

The Jigawa State government has created the targets of developing an average of 500 ICT professionals from 2010 to 2012 through local and overseas training, as well as the achievement of computerization of certain government operations such as payroll and financial management. We spoke in class about the digital divide between developing and developed countries, and one of the major goals of the Jigawa government is to bridge the digital divide between citizens with access and those without. While the Jigawa government has succeeded in reducing overhead costs with the eGovernment program and the establishment of over 30 computer-training centers, Nigeria is still “fighting to crawl… in the ICT race” (Kanya 7). Are there ways to speed up the advancement of the ICT sector, or is the digital divide between citizens and between countries something that will be nearly impossible to bridge?  Read the full case study here.

The Digital Divide in New Orleans

In class, we’ve been talking a lot about the digital divide as an international issue, but it also hits home right here in New Orleans. As most of you know the Times-Picayune now only prints three times a week, making New Orleans the largest city without a daily newspaper. This means that four days a week, the only way for people in New Orleans to read the news is online. Unfortunately, there is a great digital divide in New Orleans and many people don’t have internet access in their homes. As a result, many in New Orleans, especially lower income people, are becoming less informed about important local and international events because of a lack of access to the news.

For many poorer people broadband access is a luxury. Matt Davis of The Lens, a nonprofit journalism organization writes that “Poorer, more African American areas of New Orleans, such as the Lower 9th Ward, have broadband subscription rates between 0 and 40 percent,” meaning that the majority of poor African Americans in New Orleans now have very little access to the news. Tracie Powell on pointer.org explains that lack of broadband access is not only an affordability issue but also a policy issue in New Orleans. Powell states that “policy decisions made by lawmakers in the state minimize competition, which in turn helps keep prices of broadband artificially inflated and out of reach for poorer residents.”

“Lack of access” is a familiar statement when discussing poorer African American neighborhoods in New Orleans. For instance many neighborhoods in New Orleans are known as food deserts because they lack access to a grocery store that sells produce and healthy food. Many consider issues such as the digital divide and food deserts to be a form of racism because they primarily put African Americans at a disadvantage. Both of these examples definitely perpetuate poverty. The digital divide in New Orleans now means that residents who can’t afford broadband are less likely to make informed decisions at the polls about issues that directly affect them since they now no longer have an easy way to read about local and national politics. The digital divide is clearly a dimension of poverty and should be addressed in order to make New Orleans a more informed city.

Tracie Powell’s article on the digital divide in New Orleans can be found here

In class, we’ve been talking a lot about the digital divide as an international issue, but it also hit home right here in New Orleans. As most of you know the Times-Picayune now only prints three times a week, making New Orleans the largest city without a daily newspaper. This means that four days a week, the only way for people in New Orleans to read the news is online. Unfortunately, there is a great digital divide in New Orleans and many people don’t have internet access in their homes. As a result, many in New Orleans, especially lower income people are becoming less informed about important local and international events because of a lack of access to the news.

For many poorer people broadband access is a luxury. Matt Davis of The Lens, a nonprofit journalism organization writes that “Poorer, more African American areas of New Orleans, such as the Lower 9th Ward, have broadband subscription rates between 0 and 40 percent,” meaning that the majority of poor African Americans in New Orleans now have very little access to the news. Tracie Powell on pointer.org explains that lack of broadband access is not only an affordability issue but also a policy issue in New Orleans. Powell states that “policy decisions made by lawmakers in the state that minimize competition, which in turn helps keep prices of broadband artificially inflated and out of reach for poorer residents.”

“Lack of access” is a familiar statement when discussing poorer African American neighborhoods in New Orleans. For instance many neighborhoods in New Orleans are known as food deserts because they lack access to a grocery that sells produce and healthy food. Many consider issues such as the digital divide and food deserts as a form of racism because they primarily put African Americans at a disadvantage. Both of these examples definitely perpetuate poverty. The digital divide in New Orleans now means that residents who can’t afford broadband are less likely to make informed decisions at the polls about issues that directly affect them since they now no longer have an easy way to read about local and national politics. The digital divide is clearly a dimension of poverty and should be addressed in order to make New Orleans a more informed city.

Tracie Powell’s article on the digital divide in New Orleans can be found here http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/making-sense-of-news/178094/how-the-digital-divide-developed-in-new-orleans-what-that-means-for-the-future-of-news-there/