Bridging the Digital Divide: New Route to Development or New Form of Dependency?
Author(s)
Wade, Robert Hunter
Abstract
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are being advertised as the means to efficiency, modernization, and development. Developing countries have been encouraged to purchase ICTs in an effort to bypass other necessary community development steps. Though ICTs can play a role in effective development, they should be used in conjunction with other proven community development measures. Further, promoting a reliance on ICTs increases inequality, promotes unworkable solutions, and makes developing countries even more reliant on the West. This is a potentially lethal trap. Instead of becoming dependent on the West’s version of ICTs, developing countries should seek simple technologies that can be managed internally.
