A child uses his XO
computer in downtown
Montevideo. To
date, 570,000 XO
computers have been
given to public-school
students in Uruguay.
The Digital Divide
AND SOCIAL INCLUSION
Far from being a magic bullet, access to technology can
increase existing inequalities—even if it’s provided for free
and with the best of intentions. By Mark Warschauer
N A WORLD WHERE TECHNOLOGY HAS deliv- ered changes unimaginable even 10 years ago, as well as created sharp divides, it’s only logical that many would see computer proficiency as a funda- mental learning skill. Today, quality education requires broad access to in- formation and content, a medium for communication, and tools for analyzing data—all things that computers and the Internet provide as no other media have in his- tory. And the ability to know and use these devices is a boon in itself, since even higher-paying jobs across sec- tors (from law and medicine to manufacturing and bank- ing) become linked to the knowledge-based economy. For these reasons, access to technology has come to be seen as the key to social inclusion, whether through edu- cationalreform that incorporates information technology, or as a tool for learning the skills of the modern economy. But mere access does not guarantee learning, as any- one who has witnessed a child wasting hours playing ames on a computer can testify. Instead, research has hown that beyond just having the hardware, what is im- portant is the “social envelope” it comes in: the techni- cal and social support provided to children as they learn. I
PANTA ASTIAZARAN/AFP/GETTY
AMERICASQUARTERLY.ORG
131 Americas Quarterly SPRING 2012
