Two weeks ago, I have raised an issue of the digital divide.

Usually, the digital divide is discussed in terms of economic status. However, there is also a huge digital divide between old and young.

I can't imagine my life without the Internet these days but one of my neighborhood who is a retired English teacher lives very well without it. He reads the actual hard copies of Cincinnati Enquirer every day. Almost every day, he drives his Lexus to a bill stock broker to deal in his bonds and securities. He told me that he never tried the Internet because he has never needed it.

We should also think about this generation gap in the media usage when we want to reach people because the new media cannot be an efficient communication tool for the old generation.

There's an interesting blog which offers a test to determine your media age. Try it. My birth age is in generation X but my media age is in generation Y.

http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/06/25/what-generation-are-you-part-of-really-take-this-test/

WoongJo Chang - 2/25/2008

My mother sometimes says that she feels “left out” of the computer age. It is frustrating to her and sometimes she asks, “What’s a dot. com? What’s a dot.org? How come everything is a dot now?” It really is very puzzling to her and she would like to be a part of it all. Yet, getting her to actually use the technology is hard. And there are few community resources to teach seniors how to use the hardware and software.

One research report says hands-on training with a live instructor is more effective for seniors than on-line training.  The same Georgia Institute of Technology study showed that seniors are more afraid of breaking the equipment than the younger generation. (I think I straddle the fence on this one because that fear of crashing the computer or contracting some strange virus like I did last week still lurks.) Another solution is to buy one of those relatively inexpensive platforms with basic email and word-processing functions because the great thing about the internet is that it can keep seniors connected to adult children who may now live far away. And that can contribute to their overall health and well being.

In addition to the elderly, there are other populations that are opting out on some technology. The Amish are an easy but interesting example. Amish communities throughout Ohio are opting to use technology sparingly, in accord with their tradition. While one enclave in Holmes County will allow buggy drivers who rely on tourism to use cell phones, another will forbide the use of the devices. What I find intriguing about the Amish is that they choose the role that technology will play in their lives, as opposed to simply opening the door and allowing technology to have its way with their lives and communities. Often their decisions are based on whether they feel technology--whether a lightbulb, a telephone booth in a cornfield, a cell phone, a computer or a TV--will enhance or prove a detriment to communication within the family. 

Charlise 2/26 

Charlise 2/26