Oregon daily emerald., October 06, 2000, Page 8, Image 20

Closing in on the
Not everyone has access to the web. Some students
and universities are trying to change that.
By Genevieve Robertson
Most of us rely on the Internet for everything from movie times
and phone numbers to the weather. But some of the country
doesn’t even have access to basic Internet technology.
There are still many elementary and secondary schools that
don't have computer labs for students to use the web—or even
classes on basic software. There is an ever-growing gap between
the technology haves and have nots, dubbed the digital divide.
Falling Through the Net
A study by the Commerce Department, entitled “Falling
Through the Net (ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/digitaldivide), states
that “urban households earning incomes over $75,000 are 20
times more likely to have home Internet access than rural house
holds.” The study also shows that this gap widened an additional
29% from 1997 to 1998.
While lack of Internet access has a detrimental effect on stu
dent, the digital divide also affects issues like health care, family
finances, job hunting and politics.
Bridging the Cap
Software and computer companies like Microsoft are working to
bridge the gap, but college students are also getting involved. At
Penn, students volunteer for a program called Puente (“bridges”)
working to close the divide in Third World nations. Rohan Amin, one
volunteer, traveled to Ecuador to help children learn how to use the
Internet. “It kind of gave me a new outlook,” he said, “I understand
the digital divide more because I actually experienced it first hand.
At first [the children] can’t even begin to understand or use [the
Internet]. It was like opening a door for them. It was really cool.”
In the U.S., colleges and universities are also funding programs
to create computer centers in low-income neighborhoods. Last
spring, Brown University partnered with WorldCom to give grants to
20 underserved communities to “improve learning through technol
ogy by teaching students to learn and thrive in today’s technology
rich environment," said Jonathan B. Sallet, WorldCom’s chief policy
council. The Department of Education also approved $6 million in
funding to eight community colleges, to help make Internet technol
ogy available to low-income residents across the nation.
Some lower income families that have Internet access cannot find
relevant content. This is most obvious when examining the lack of web
content directed at minorities. Many new sites, specializing in minority
targeted information, are popping up to address this problem.
College students all over the U.S. are volunteering their time to
help close the digital divide—be one of them. To get involved, visit
the following links:
General info
digitaldividenetwork.org
Information on what the issue is and how people are working to
change it.
digitaldivide.org
Seattle based organization called Digital Partners working to close
the gap.
digitaldivide.gov
Government information on what the Clinton Administration is
doing about the issue.
Community Resources
ctcnet.org
Resources and information about and for community centers.
playing2win.org
New York-based organization linking people and institutions to
work together to provide Internet access.
Minority Web sites
blackgeeks.com
Some of the best Internet sites providing black oriented content, as
well as discussions and links to pertinent issues and tech support.
onenetnow.com
Web portal that provides content, chat rooms, message boards, search
engines, email, web hosting and tech support for minority users.
dvstreet.com
Multicultural web portal that allows users to personalize their own
start page with channels, chat rooms, job information and more.
Digital Divide stats
Hispanic households are reported to be half as
likely to own a computer and 2.5 times less
likely to the use the Internet than white
households are.
The gap between white and black households
with Internet ^ccess grew by 37.7% from 1997
to 1998.