Rethinking the Digital Divide

In spite of the trends in decreasing gaps between the higher and lower SES groups in terms of access to computers and the Internet, current research suggests the necessity to rethink the digital divide debate not simply in terms of access and inaccess, but rather in terms of the knowledge necessary to use new media for beneficial purposes.

More specifically in the realm of health, recent studies suggest that critical gaps exist between the haves and have-nots in terms of the knowledge regarding the use of new media for health-related purposes. This suggests the increasing need for reconceptualizing the digital divide not simply in terms of access to new media technologies, but rather in terms of technology literacy.

There is a growing need for creating literacy programs that build community capacity for using new media technologies for health enhancing purposes. Health information capacities need to be developed in underserved communities that train community members in skills necessary for (a) identifying health information and information about health resources, and (b) evaluating the quality of this information. Furthermore, these technologies need to be developed in ways that are responsive to the cultural and communicative needs of the underserved communities.