graphs

http://www.scholarshipsforkids.org/images/poverty-map.png

This map shows averages of the amount people earn in different countries.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_divide



This map shows an average of the number of computers per 100 people in different countries. It shows a similar pattern to the other map. In areas where people earn a lot of money lots of people have computers. Likewise in countries where people earn less amounts of money less people have computers.









http://tikor.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/digital-divide1.jpg



These images shows a cycle which explains how low income jobs can increases the digital divide. If people have low income jobs they will find it harder to afford computers and connect to the internet. If people do not have computers they will not be able to gain the skills needed to use a computer or general information. This in turns results  in them getting low paid jobs.

developed coutries

Poverty in developed countries
Poverty contributes to the digital divide in developed countries as well as 3^rd world countries. Although the majority of a developed country can afford computers, laptops, phones and other technology, there are some people who can't.
This problem often affects children from poor families. They can struggle with school work as they do not have a computer at home to use for research. Also they will lack ICT skills which can slow down their work in the classroom. They will not be able to do research and a lot of work at home. When grown up, they will only minimalistic computer skills, meaning it will be very difficult for them to get job.
To remedy the problem, some schools are providing extra tuition on basic computer skills for struggling students.  A lot of schools provide computers for students to use when they are out of lessons. Some schools and a branch of the government provide funds to get basic laptops to poor children.
These solutions mean that when the children leave school they will know enough about computers to get jobs.

 Another problem is that nowadays mobile phones have a lot of other appliances built into them such as cameras, access to the internet and music players. These devices can cause problems as it makes the phones very expensive.  

from daily mail

 This article explains how a basic phone without any extras can now be sold for 99p. This could reduce the digital divide because more people will be able to communicate cheaply. However it could cause a problem if children start using these phones which could lead to health problems and very large phone bills.

3rd world

Poverty (3rd world)

The majority people in 3^rd world have a very small income, especially compared to people in developed countries. This means that they only just have enough money to live on and can not afford anything else. This means they can not buy any technology. Since developed countries keep getting more technology the digital divide will continue to increase until the income of people living in 3^rd world countries improves. This lack of technology means that people will not have a high income. For example, farmers will not be able to check prices in other places so will often not get the best deal possible for their crops. Also, because children do not get the chance to learn how to use technology they will only be able to get low paid jobs when they grow up. Lack of technology and low incomes create a vicious circle where one causes the other, so it is very difficult for the people to improve their lifestyle.

An idea that has been put in place to try and reduce the problem is called the “One Laptop per Child policy”. This is where children in poor countries are given a basic laptop that costs $100 to make. These laptops are known as OX laptops. These laptops are designed to be used in rough environments. This means that they can withstand impacts such as being dropped.

These laptops are often used to benefit the child’s education by having programs that teach the basic subjects (reading, writing, and arithmetic). These programs are written in a lot of languages so they can be used in many countries.