The coronavirus pandemic in 2020 generated a change in our lives. With confinement, many people had to adapt their work at home and the term teleworking is here to stay. Likewise, which students and teaching staff had to take a step forward and adapt to new technologies for online education.
However, while many people were able to continue thanks to Internet access, there was a reality that continues to persist in society: the digital divide. Approximately 2.9 billion people, almost half of the world’s population, lack access to the network, according to the UN’s International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
This inequality in access to the Internet and information and communication technology (ICT) is known as the digital divide, and it affects 52% of women and 42% of men. However, this disparity deepens when considering specific regions. For example, while 88.4% of Europeans and 93.4% of North Americans are connected, only 43.1% of people in Africa live online.
Although 3G and 4G networks have reached almost every corner of the world, a technological chasm persists between nations and communities. The digital divide not only refers to access to the Internet, but also to digital literacy, that is, the ability to acquire skills to take advantage of new technologies in educational, economic and social areas.
The causes of the digital divide range from the high cost of devices to a lack of knowledge about their use and poor infrastructure. Several types of digital divide have been identified: access, use and quality of use. The ITU has developed the Digital Access Index (DIA) to measure citizens’ ability to access and use ICTs, considering variables such as quality, infrastructure, knowledge, accessibility and use.
The effects of the digital divide are significant. Technological discrimination leads to poverty and social exclusion, affecting education, employment and gender equality. The coronavirus crisis has already accentuated the difficulties and showed how this lack of Internet access isolates remote and urban communities, limits access to knowledge and amplifies social and gender inequalities.
To address this gap, the UN has established sustainable development goals. Digital literacy programs and alliances such as the “Alliance for Affordable Internet” (A4AI) and “Free Basics” have been implemented, with the aim of making Internet access cheaper in disadvantaged regions.
With the Digital Marketing, SEO and Mailing course, offered by Elbs – Escuela de Liderazgo, under an online study modality, it offers an introduction to the digital environment through which to obtain the necessary instruments to develop marketing strategies.
For its part, the university specialization course in Digital Marketing and Communication 2.0, taught by the School of Business and Management, is an excellent opportunity to begin closing this digital divide. This course, completely online and lasting six months, offers the necessary tools to become an expert in corporate communication, e-business, web 2.0 and digital marketing.
On the other hand, the International Master in Web Positioning-SEO, from Esneca Business School, is another option. With a duration of 600 hours and carried out remotely, this program offers the guidelines to master the Internet and, if you have an online business, to achieve greater positioning.
With the Digital Marketing, SEO and Mailing course, offered by Elbs – Escuela de Liderazgo, under an online study modality, it offers an introduction to the digital environment through which to obtain the necessary instruments to develop marketing strategies.
