The Digital Divide – Case Study Detroit, MI
Digital Divide
? Definition: ? Broadband internet access ? Suitable device/Upgrade ? Anything restricted the
access of technology ? Digital Divide exists long time
ago ? The COVID-19 exacerbate this
social problem
For students in remote learning
? Remote learning requirement ? 13.5 million school-age children lack computer device ? Widen pre-existing inequities ? Cannot fully participate in remote learning
In Michigan There is 26.5 estimated percentage of students without full access.
The Digital Divide: Evidence and Background
? Digital Divide as a term is a relatively recent crisis with the first inklings of acknowledgement by the government starting in the late 1990s.
? It wasnt considered a national crisis until 2000 when Bill Clinton made it a national crusade to bring equal broadband access to U.S. citizens.
? 1 in 5 Americans still lack access to high speed broadband, and about 14.5 million Americans in rural areas lack any access at all (Wang 2019).
The Digital Divide: Evidence and Background (Cont.)
? Further background through case studies show that these issues are not made up, and are affected along racial, social, economic, and even educational lines (Benjamin 2001). ? Many believed that the issue was solved in the early 2000s.
? In our case study of Detroit, we see this as some of the most impoverished areas containing 23,000 households still lack access to reliable, high speed internet. ? This is approximately 30% of all households in the metro-Detroit area
that dont have access (Austin, 2020).
Further Evidence: Digital Divide in Detroit
? Digital divide is very prevalent in the City of Detroit, as stated by the US census bureau, there are only 59.3% of households that have a broadband internet subscription, and the Detroit Public School district had the highest amount of households without internet access at a total of 82,894.
? With classes going virtual, anyone that does not have internet access or a strong connection will be put at a major disadvantage, and will likely struggle with staying up to date on schoolwork.
? We can see the major difference in internet access with wealthier areas of Michigan compared to Detroit. The city of Northville has a total of only 1.4% of kids living in poverty and only 755 of those households in the Northville school district lacking internet access.
Further Evidence: Digital Divide in Detroit
? Obviously with Covid-19 going on, kids and adults are affected more if they lack a stable internet connection. With many people having to work at home due to the pandemic, people may find themselves in a tough spot if they dont have internet access because it will hinder their ability to work.
? Also, if people are being laid off from their jobs, it may be more difficult to find a new job if they are lacking the technology/internet needed to do so.
? Digital divide is a major problem in Detroit as it causes young students and adults to have the lack of resources they need to thrive in society.
Policy Solutions and Alternatives
Some solutions to create less of a digital divide in communities
? Advocate more funding to public areas to provide wifi and ethernet access
? Enhance connectivity for high population areas to disperse broadband out to areas with higher volumes of people
? Fund telecom companies to provide internet to low income families ? Provide usable and quality devices so that people are able to have
the necessary devices to access internet
Policy Solutions and Alternatives (Cont.)
More Solutions:
? Public hotspot areas to upload and download data ? Rolling back net neutrality practices to ensure online available
resources ? Education on how to use devices to be able to efficiently utilize
technology
Audience ? Most people above 5 years have encountered or used any platform
that works with digitally ? People in rural areas access information much later because of the
technological differences ? Having a easily accessible platform which ensures the that people
have uniform access to information. ? There is no limit for the audience, but can be sustained to anyone
who can understand what technology is. ? However, information control is also required ? Provision of internet access to remote areas so that information is
accessible, hence, maximum audience covered
Stakeholders
? Every individual is obliged to support the affirmative action or banish digital divide.
? Administrators in any context need to take lead in the action ? Supporting information distribution should be the role of all of us,
hence, banishing the vice of digital divide. ? Anyone can help in conducting referral marketing
Mode of Delivery
? Our group has chosen to use this live presentation as our mode of delivery
? As our policy problem deals with issues accessing the internet, we think one of the best ways to approach a solution is to increase awareness
? Presenting the issue to our audience through data-backed evidence ? Using data to outline the problem, illustrate its magnitude
Goals of our Presentation
? Define the problem of the Digital Divide ? Use the city of Detroit, MI as a case study ? Provide background information backed with evidence and statistics ? Outline policy solutions/alternatives that we think would be a step
in the right direction concerning our topic
Q&A ?
?
Citations Wang, Yunyun. Tech Talk: Addressing America’s Digital Divide. Center for Democracy and Technology, 13 Nov. 2019, https://cdt.org/insights/tech-talk-addressing-americas-digital-divide/
Austin, John C. In Michigan, Closing the Digital Divide Can Unite the Red and the Blue. Brookings, 23 July 2020, www.brookings.edu/blog/the-avenue/2020/07/23/in-michigan-closing-the-digital-divide-can-unite-the-red-and-the-blue/#:~:text=In%20Wayne% 20County%2C%20home%20of,lack%20high%2Dspeed%20internet%20access.&text=The%20digital%20divide%20was%20so,51%2C000%20 Detroit%20public%20school%20students
The Digital Divide : Facing a Crisis or Creating a Myth?, edited by Benjamin M. Compaine, MIT Press, 2001. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.proxy2.cl.msu.edu/lib/michstate-ebooks/detail.action?docID=3338879.
Digital Equity for Students and Educators, National Education Association https://www.nea.org/sites/default/files/2020-10/NEA%20Report%20-%20Digital%20Equity%20for%20Students%20and%20Educators_0.pdf
U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Michigan; Detroit City, Michigan. Census Bureau QuickFacts, www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/MI,detroitcitymichigan/PST045219.
https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.proxy2.cl.msu.edu/lib/michstate-ebooks/detail.action?docID=3338879
https://www.nea.org/sites/default/files/2020-10/NEA%20Report%20-%20Digital%20Equity%20for%20Students%20and%20Educators_0.pdf
Slide 1
Digital Divide
For students in remote learning
I
Recent Comments