Technology plays a massive role in our lives, something that has been more evident than ever since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, not everyone is able to rely on technology, or even have access to it.
Lack of access to high-speed internet or broadband is a human rights and social justice issue that disproportionately impacts low-income groups, people of color, older adults, rural residents and tribal communities, according to Cynthia Sanders, associate professor and online program director in the College of Social Work at the University of Utah and the lead author of an article published in the Journal of Human Rights and Social Work.
While the issue is a pressing one, there are examples in Utah as to how it can be addressed. One example is in the Murray City School District.
The digital divide certainly represents a lack of social inclusion because there are so many things associated with access to broadband in terms of how we think about our daily lives and opportunities, especially highlighted by the pandemic. It creates a clear social exclusion situation.
For those of us who have easy access every day to broadband, you kind of take that for granted just in terms of the daily tasks of our lives like banking, applying for jobs and all those kinds of things that other people really could struggle with, it puts them at a disadvantage in terms of opportunity structures.