Global management, people, and the digital divide Essay - 4

Global management, people, and the digital divide - Essay Example In poverty stricken areas, many people do not enjoy the benefits afforded by ICT, such as internet accessibility and networking. This is why such regions extensively rely on markets and donor driven aid to build their ICT infrastructure (Jonathan, 2005, pp. 22-25). However, failure to access such funds continues to widen the gap between the poor and the rich, especially in regard to internet accessibility. This inequality is rampant not only in developing countries, but in developed ones as well. In recognition of the identified digital divide, donors are increasingly considering the need to bridge this gap, through creation of low cost technologies, which can aid in enhancing internet accessibility in these regions. An excellent example is the recently adopted laptop per child policy, which seeks to ensure that children in underprivileged societies attain some level of technological advancement (Strover, 2003, pp. 275-277). The program further seeks to ensure that students experience a media rich environment both at home and school, which will make them more creative and critical with information technology. The program is also instrumental in increasing opportunities for students to overcome educational inequality. The One Laptop per Child (OLPC) program is a high profile initiative designed to bridge the digital divide, by providing poor kids with low cost computers that support network capability. These laptops are specifically designed to handle low-power supply, as well as, the ruggedness of poor rural and urban regions (vanDuersen and vanDijk, 2011, pp. 895-905). Additionally, the laptops’ software features graphical programs and user interface that are designed to enhance learning. For instance, in the largely rural state of Maine, students from poor backgrounds have benefited from the OPLC program by acquiring means to access