Growing up as a child, we did sneak out of the house just to see a movie in our neighbors place. Funny enough we might not get the chance to go inside the sitting room; We did be peeping through the windows.
The TV ( Television) owners were classified as the Rich and privileged. One could tell through their arrogance that it was something of honour to own a TV set. Anytime we get into the sitting room, we were always asked to sit on the floor.
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(Writing this reminds me that it was a Cathode Ray Black and white TV )
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(not even a curved Samsung QLED TV)
crazy right?
Let Me also talk about Mobile phones; At a time they were only owned by the Rich who could afford them. Can you guess the model of those phones? maybe not correctly. This also reminds me that many people lost their lives because of this phones.
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Have you heard of Nokia 3310? Oh yes, that's the very phone that made someone loose his life while trying to steal it.
Digital Divide has to do with the unparalleled access to modern information and communications technology (ICT). It reveals the gulf between those that have access to ICT and those who do not. While one half is already living in the future, the other tends to be living in the stone age even in the 21st century.
Digital Divide does not stop at access to ICT alone; It continues even to the appropriate use and application of this devices.
unlike while we were growing up, a good number of people can now afford good technological devices. But alot of folks have smart phones and yet can't use them properly. Many have access to social media but don't know what to do with it.
How then can we mitigate these issues?
One of the ways is through Digital Literacy and Skills programs geared towards educating people on the new normal called ICT, how to leverage it and also how to
profit from it.
Here in Africa, many of the young populace does not have access to digital literacy and skills that can help them contribute to the advancement of technology. Some do but lack the funds and support to move their ideas to great innovations.
I believe there are people like that in other continents of the world who could make great contributions if we could give them a chance.
And down to my very self, as a computer enthusiast, there are lots of things I'm yet to explore and would also love to make my own contributions to, before I leave this world.