1. The Digital Divide According to 14 Year Olds

    digital access poll results.pdf Download this file

    Over the past two days, I gave my 8th grade Technology Applications students a writing assignment. The prompt was as follows:


    “In class, we discussed the 9 elements of digital citizenship. The first element was called ‘Digital Access’ and dealt with the availability or ‘access’ that various people have with regards to technology. One of the issues in this area that even adults cannot agree upon is the question of a right versus a privilege. In a new Word document or blog post, answer the question ‘Is digital access a right or a privilege?’ and convince the reader of your position. Why should the reader agree with you? Provide supporting reasons and cite your sources….”
    In addition to their responses, I also took a quick poll: “Is digital access a right or a privilege?” The answer choices were 1) right 2) privilege 3) both 4) neither

    Of the 95 students completing the poll, 26 of them responded “right,” 33 each for “privilege” and “both,” and only 3 said “neither.”
    Some of the excerpts include:
    “A person with a job that needs computers would see Digital Access as a right.”

    ”If you think Digital Access as a right then you’re basically saying that EVERYBODY has the right to use technology no matter what. Well in some countries you’re not allowed to have technology. That’s if we’re talking worldwide. I’m pretty sure that somewhere on earth Digital Access is denied to others.  In the United States you are ALLOWED to use technology in a certain age.”
    ”I personally think Digital Access is a privilege, because we do not need it but we have it. Our basic surviving needs are food, water, clothing, and shelter. In many ways we do need Digital Access. We need it to do research on projects and to get on social networking sites to communicate with friends and family. We need Digital Access for numerous things. Yet, it is still a privilege.”

    “…it is good that digital access is a privilege. If you have too much digital access it can cause many problems. Being on the computer and internet too much can cause internet addiction. This is a very serious problem and the reports of this mental problem are dramatically increasing each year, as technology gets faster and more advanced. Another problem is that it can take you away from your everyday life. An example of this would be you spending all of your time on the computer, instead of hanging out with your friends and socializing.”
    “Personally I think everyone has the right to computer usage and the internet at school or a public place. There are drawbacks though. If someone uses it in an inappropriate way, you should not be able to use until someone later on says you can if you have proved yourself eligible again. “

    “Many people in the US do have the right to a computer but even if you have the right, some other right is being taken away. Blocking the computer is an example of taking away rights to access websites and because this school and many others parents and schools block many websites, we have the privilege to even get on the computer and play games and access information without the website being blocked. There are many restrictions for digital access, and if it was our right, then many websites would not be blocked and we would be able to have our phones during the school day.”
    ”The world we live in is not monitored and blocked form all content and therefore neither is the internet.  The internet is simply to versatile to be constantly monitored by someone in a high position of power to keep the internet clean.  ”

    ”Digital access is a right. Many people think it is a privilege, but I disagree. Freedom of speech is a right, so why shouldn’t freedom of knowledge be. Posting online could be considered freedom of speech or freedom of press, so that could also be considered a right. “
    ”I believe it is a right. In this day and age, with technological advances around every turn of the corner, it’s hard to stay isolated from anything digital.”

    So what do you think? Is digital access a right? Or a privilege?
     

    1 year ago  /  Notes