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The Digital Divide
The digital divide concept was first introduced over a decade ago by United States Vice President, Albert Gore, in a speech given to the residents of Knoxville, Tennessee. During this speech he introduced the digital divide concept in the context of US children not having access to the “information superhighway”. Specifically, Vice President Gore stated, “We challenged the nation to make sure that our children will never be separated by a digital divide” (emphasis added) [1]. Later in the same address, President William Clinton expanded on the concept to include an important developmental dimension. “Of course, as Al said, there could be a great digital divide. If we don't broadly share the knowledge and the technology that is developing, it could work to promote inequality, frictions, anxieties among people. But if we do it right, it can be a great force to help us meet our challenges and protect our values together.” [2].
Later “bridging” the digital divide became a major initiative for the Clinton/Gore administration in particular within the United States. The Clinton/Gore Administration stated, “Today, President Clinton announced that he intends to lead a New Markets tour in the Spring of 2000 to focus national attention on the digital divide the growing division in the United States between information ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots.’ This issue has also been a top priority for Vice President Gore, who has worked to bridge the digital divide by ensuring that all of our children have access to educational technology.”
