OpenGov: Leaving Thousands of Citizens Behind?
Q: How do we bridge the digital divide - that ignominious gap between people who enjoy ready access to web-based and mobile technology and those who lack such resources?
This question is a little explored, but critical element of President Obama's Open Government initiative.
One possible answer was presented in my local newspaper last weekend in an article entitled, "Free Internet connects poor to world of opportunities."
An excerpt:
"Downtown Raleigh's Chavis Heights neighborhood boasts a perk that would be a plum in any community, but all the more so in public housing: universal broadband Internet access for all residents.Unlimited e-mailing and Internet surfing are privileges few here could afford until last fall, when this low-income subsidized housing community was turned into a free WiFi hotspot."
This effort to link low-income citizens to the Internet is not new. In fact, Chavis Heights is but the latest community in a decade-long project called One Economy, a global non-profit that "leverages the power of technology and connects underserved communities around the world to vital information that will improve their lives."
But there's just one problem.
Internet access alone is not enough. The article continues: "...even zero-cost Internet is not enough to turn all low-income residents into cyber-citizens. The uptake rate among residents isn't measured, but it's estimated to be less than half the households."
Why?
These same folks can't afford computers on a $12,000 a year income.
Sure, we can donate our used laptops and refurbished machines, but there are many reasons why you and I are upgrading our old PCs.
So free Internet might be one answer to the question. But it's not enough and before we travel too much further down this #OpenGov or #Gov20 road, we ought to give ample time and energy to answering my initial question:
How do we bridge the digital divide - that ignominious gap between people who enjoy ready access to web-based and mobile technology and those who lack such resources?
Otherwise, we will perpetuate a country where wealthy, well-educated citizens make decisions on behalf of low-income folks who lack access to the process.
For me, that flies in the face of the basic intentions of a government that is more transparent, participatory and collaborative.
Comment
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Comment by Javier Muniz on December 29, 2010 at 3:13am -
Low-cost Android or similar smart phones are the only viable way that I've seen to solve this problem. Many low-income families are already using mobile phones rather than land lines. Giving these phones an operating system capable of installing applications and a data plan seems to me to be the most cost effective way to reach these users.
Community broadband is great of course, and would augment the mobile strategy well if delivered via WiFi, since some WiFi-only devices coming in at around $100.
We need to think beyond the desktop/laptop/netbook for sure, not just for low income but for the masses.
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Comment by Megan on December 29, 2010 at 3:03am -
Here are another related blog on this topic posted on Xmas 2010 entitled "The Digital Divide and the Growing Gap between the Rich and the Poor."
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Comment by Andrew Krzmarzick on June 29, 2010 at 12:00pm -
@Matt - Great statement: "But what we owe the people we serve is access to information, engagement, and services in whatever way is easiest for them to access, not whatever way is easiest for us to provide."
@Zachary - Nice: "If Government can make digital access simple, fulfilling and provide practical incentive and return on investment, I'm fairly sure the citizenry will meet them on the other side."
Candace: You and I both grew up in rural areas...so I completely understand the lack of access and exposure point. It really limited my opportunities because (a) I wasn't equipped and (b) I wasn't made aware...
And we're moving more and more toward a mobile, web-based society...which may actually be easier for the consumer, too...so we definitely want to bring folks up to speed.
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Comment by Matt Snyder on June 29, 2010 at 9:37am -
I think we need to judo this - instead of focusing on bridging the digital gap by forcing everyone to jump across it into the internets, we need to ensure that internet is not a pre-requisite for obtaining services and being an involved citizen.
Take my grandmother, for example. It drives her up the wall that companies and government alike are directing people to websites, for example, in advertisements or in the queue of a call-in number. She feels ignored and left out. Trust me, she's plenty opinionated and aware of what's going on in the world, but she is *not* going to involve herself when attempts to do so are so alienating to her.
Another example - I was an organizer in a previous federal campaign and many of my team members were middle-aged or senior citizens, and one of the most important adjustments I had to make to involve them was to realize that many didn't have email (or internet, period), some didn't have cell phones, and those that did had to husband their minutes very carefully to make their monthly budget.
Digital town halls and the like have their place and can be useful. Online services are great - I appreciate them, often prefer them. But what we owe the people we serve is access to information, engagement, and services in whatever way is easiest for them to access, not whatever way is easiest for us to provide.
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Comment by Zachary Michael Trimble on June 28, 2010 at 9:14am -
@ Riddle
You bring up an interesting point about education. One of the obstacles to spanning the Divide is that new technology often outpaces educator skill-sets, and, it would be a disservice to the truth to ignore the issue of apathy among teachers and public servants who through tenure, collective bargaining protections and other forums, occupy positions which require constant education, enthusiasm and a desire to serve ... and despite their inability to meet the core criteria, these under-performers are allowed to retain their positions of trust, thereby undermining the missions of the agency or educational institution they serve.
If Government can make digital access simple, fulfilling and provide practical incentive and return on investment, I'm fairly sure the citizenry will meet them on the other side.
The webinars and digital town hall meetings that the Department of Labor has been using to engage its stakeholders on policy, regulatory concerns and other jurisdictional issues are a step in the right direction.
@ Brantley - Dude, so sorry I called you Bradley.
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Comment by Candace Riddle on June 28, 2010 at 8:54am -
The key is education. Bridging the digital divide should be addressed early in the educational curriculum in low-income area schools. That will certainly be the first step to engaging future generations and capturing their interest.
On that same note, I grew up in a rural community where schools were not always equipped with the latest technology. When I went to college I started out as an Environmental Science major, but quickly changed when I realized that my skills with "technology" were far behind that of my classmates. My rural education had not provided access to the "high-tech" calculators and necessary lessons in excel, instead they emphasized the power of the pencil and paper. When I entered basic chemistry in college, I struggled to generate computer models for lab reports and to calculate conversations in class. Needless to say, I blew up several test tubes and switched majors.
How are these children going to feel if these issues remain unaddressed, and they show up to take their SATs or ACTs and they’re all done on a computer? Think about how many things have moved to a completely web-based system: standardized testing, some voting, most job applications, etc.
The point is; the digital divide has to be addressed early to generate interest for life.
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Comment by Andrew Krzmarzick on June 28, 2010 at 8:43am
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Tuning back in to this conversation, I definitely agree that there is a more widespread sense of apathy among citizens that prevents them from being more engaged with their government...but I don't want us to sweep low-income folks into that group - the question there is more about access...and only after we've achieved access can we talk about engagement...so if I were facilitating a focus group, I'd split the room and have one group address access and another to tackle engagement.
In terms of libraries, I have two other relevant posts entitled "Libraries as Linchpins of #Gov20 and #OpenGov" and "Project of the Week: YOUMedia (Chicago Public Library)"
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Comment by Daniel Bevarly on June 27, 2010 at 8:29pm -
I will also concur with those who have mentioned this is not an economic, ethnic, gender or generational challenge. Rather it is more a collective of citizen apathy from disinterest, distrust and disengagement. Those are the real challenges that unfortunately technology will not solve, however, there is an encouraging development that technology can successful support engagement when there is interest.
We should be able to make progress if we can find a way to continue into new administrations and governance processes the same types of collaborative technologies that political campaigns utilize to connect with voters. But even here, we know many challenges exist, including legal ones.
Unfortunately, “Open Government” in this sense with easy access to data appears to be more receptive among and used by organizations with special interests to lobby or advocate for their goals –which is also a root cause of citizen apathy.
BTW, I’ve been an advocate of transitioning our libraries to also serve as a community’s public comment centers where citizens can visit to view, in particular, local government (state and federal as well?) activity and policy making and provide comments. Hard copies should also be available of some of the content for those who do not wish to view online and submit comments that could be uploaded by staff.
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Comment by Zachary Michael Trimble on June 27, 2010 at 10:08am
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Okay, I should have proof-read that before I submitted it.
Please excuse all of the typos and the unintentional use of "right" for "write."
A 15 minute window to edit comments would be a cool GovLoop feature.
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Comment by Zachary Michael Trimble on June 27, 2010 at 10:05am
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@Bradley:
Yes. I took a grant writing class in college and I chose a similar theme for the hyothetical grant I was required to write for the final project.
Grant funds for non-profits and linbraries and partnerships with foundations, Big Business and the local, state and Federal government would seem the ideal path.
Open Source provides for a new path, one that benefits the public, unlike the Apple monopoly of the 80s and 90s, which helped widen the digital chasm by pitting two mutually exclusive operating systems against each other and by sucking up billions of education dollars on non-competitive, over-priced software and hardware.
My statement about the affluent tapping away at Apple products was made with that fact in mind.
I was an XO G1G1 participant (where private individuals purchased an XO for $400, with one going to the purchaser and another going to South American children living below the poverty level). Awesome design, great PR campaign, total fail as a versatile, low-income computing solution.
I also have a 1st generation ASUS Netbook (EEE 1000; 2 ssd drives). Dollar for dollar, I consider it the best value I have ever gotten back on a PC purchase and I'm currently reading a PDF from Google Books on it while I right this response.
Asus is what Apple should be. It would awesome to see them break into pop culture through an educational/community oriented program to deliver low-budget, high performance computing to those let stranded with the Luddite's on the analog side of the digital divide.
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