The Global Digital Divide: Focusing on Children

Professor Fischer takes a comparative look at children's access to information and communications technologies (ICT) in six countries across five continents- the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Australia, Mongolia, and Tanzania. Children's levels of access to ICT is strongly linked to the "global development divide." The article explores the difference between access in highly developed countries and lesser developed countries. The article further explores the extent of the global developmental divide, including the potentially bleak future facing children born in less developed countries. Next the article explores both sides of the debate that simply increasing ICT access can eliminate the digital divide, and the article concludes with a recommendation of where policymakers should be focusing attention- both to ICT itself and development.