The digital divide in the USA is a major problem in education because teenagers are not able to complete certain assignments that have internet broadband requirements. 30% of rural America still do not have “adequate” broadband access according to the FCC minimum requirement of 25 mbps. More urban areas have better internet access with only 2.1% missing adequate internet service. The divide between those who have broadband and those who do not depends on location and income of the family. We should care about this divide because specifically low-income students are unable to keep up with curriculum with no access to internet or no computer in the home. 17% of students say they cannot finish homework without the internet so with schools putting more and more emphasis on online assignments, like CSU’s Blackboard Learn, it is not realistic to try to solve this problem by stopping the advancement on online scholastics. In order to close the divide, we need to have legislative action that either creates better broadband in rural areas or alternatives need to be made to help teens complete the assignments given to them. I personally could not imagine completing my homework without access to instant information so a solution could be the implementation of computer labs in classes or designated locations with Wi-Fi.
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AuthorJames Caspary Archives
January 2019
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