These countries mainly obtain their domestic product income from agriculture, and not from information technology, because they simply do not have the resources nor the expertise to make a place for themselves in the digital world. Once again, this widens the gap between rich and poor countries, in that the latter do not have the means or opportunity to learn how they can also reap the benefits of digital technology.
Many solutions have been offered for overcoming the digital divide. The first and most important is that a paradigm shift must occur in terms of perceptions and belief. The rich must understand the need of the poor to make use of the opportunities offered by digital technology. Secondly, the paradigm shift must be supplemented with action, and indeed, programs have already been implemented to accomplish this. According to Flexibility Ltd., for example, Arizona has created a program through which to provide rural communities with digital technology. Similar programs have been founded in Scotland and the United Kingdom.
I believe...
Government agencies should then become part of programs such as those mentioned above, to ultimately guarantee the well-being of all the races within the borders of a country.
IT companies can play a very important part in this as well. Indeed, like giving money, and providing literacy to the poor, computer and information literacy can also be seen as part of a company's charitable effort. Charity events are then often used to bring a profit to the company via word of mouth advertising. Being involved in improving the world can therefore be very profitable for it professionals. Indeed, this offers a further opportunity to benefit from digital technology.
Sources
Digital divide.org. Digital Divide: What it is and Why it Matters. 2007. http://www.digitaldivide.org/dd/digitaldivide.html
Flexibility Ltd. Tacklig the "digital divide" 2007. http://www.flexibility.co.uk/issues/debates/divide.htm
