Essay: Digital Divide, Communication Tech, Neoliberalism

This essay delves into the multifaceted concept of the digital divide, examining the disparities in access to digital media and the internet and their socio-economic consequences. It discusses the significance of technology literacy in the context of globalization, highlighting how the lack of skills and infrastructure can exacerbate the digital divide. The essay also analyzes the perspectives of Martin Lister et. al. on neoliberalism and the internet, exploring how the internet has been shaped by and supports neoliberal principles. It examines the internet's role in communication, censorship, and the formation of individual and cultural identities within a globalized world. The essay references various sources to support its arguments and provides a comprehensive overview of the interplay between technology, society, and economics.

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New communication technologies
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The Digital Divide - Last Moyo Globalisation
The digital divide has been regarded as the gap which occur between the people who have access
to the digital media and the internet and those who do not have any access.
1The development as well as the spread of the digital media across the world has been culminated
in the centrality of the media in the social, political as well as the economic activities of
individuals as well as organizations in various countries particularly the developed world. In
principle the openness as well as the accessibility of the internet has reflected by each rising
popularity of the medium.
The disparities in the ownership as well as the access to these media could potentially impact the
access to the information from the internet by the communities which are disadvantaged as well
as create or reinforce on the socio-economic inequalities which is based on the digital
marginalization of the poorer classes along with the regions of the world.
Based on the finding of Last Moyo the aspect of digital divide, it is multidimensional and a bit
complex than just the question of the access to the digital media as well as the internet by various
individuals, countries as well as regions. Technology literacy in regards to globalization it is all
about the skills and the ability of the individuals as well as the communities in order to use the
digital technologies and the internet effectively to address the aspect of globalization needs. An
example, the lack of the hardware along with the software operational skills could act as the
barriers to not only employ the internet, but also in the production of the content, thus, creating
the digital divide even among those with the access. The technological literacy is regarded as the
1 Moyo, Last. Digital Cultures: Understanding News Media, UK: McGraw, 2009.

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skills and the ability of the individuals and the communities to use the digital technologies as
well as the internet effectively in order to address the globalization aspect.
2The poor telecommunication infrastructure in the developing countries has serious ramifications
when it comes to the digital divide. The internet has created opportunities to the cheap, reliable
and instantaneous communication. The telecommunication infrastructure especially in the
countries that are developing are in accessible meaning that the internet is limited to few
individuals while majority find it unaffordable due to the prohibitive connection and services
charged that are worsened by the lack of the economic opportunities.
Neoliberalism and the Internet - Martin Lister et. al
The scholarship on the economic neoliberalism, internet, its definitions, effects and proliferations
has been dominated by the author Martin Lister et.al. Who has been critical of these concepts
which underlay the effect on the society. 3According to the author has highlighted that
individual’s use the internet for various way. In different cultures it serves various functions. The
internet censorship could work to enforce various political ideologies. It has opened up the
thinking which could be globalization and this does not mean global homogenisation, or perhaps
the spread of neoliberalism all around the world. The author has highlighted on the significance
of the particularities of various cultures and something to relate to imagination of individuals
utilizing the internet in ways which could have initially been designed to be utilized, but in way
which makes sense to every individual utilizing it.
2 Levy, R. Mark, Frank, Biocca, eds. Communication in the age of virtual reality. Routledge, 2013.
3 Heyer Paul, David, Crowley. Communication in history: Technology, culture, society. Routledge, 2015.

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The author argues that when the internet was invented it allowed individuals to see its intent to
the use and the kind of the interactions which it was initially designed to facilitate. Over the past
the corporation has made it that the computers have become objects which individuals in the
globe are realistically able to consume. 4There has been development of the devices to the point
people are able to carry the internet around with me even through use the phones. Moreover, the
world developed from there, and this was culturally specific and neoliberalism was based on the
ideas which every individual’s life improves through the economic investment as well as
entrepreneurships. The rate to which things are changing is the ground for the neoliberalism to
thrive in mindst of the corporate interests, in addition to the willingness of individuals to buy
things. The author has also highlighted on the way internet providers usefulness in achieving the
ideal neoliberal perfect market. He highlights that the perfect market is important to achieve and
it also helps the political debated of which individuals can be part of them. Additionally, he has
highlighted how the internet has offered support to the interest of the business. The aspect of
neoliberalism has been engendered in the internet. The internet has been a tool for working of the
neoliberalism. It has worked as part of the wider context and there is nothing which is inherent
within technology to which the neoliberal supportive mechanism could be deemed a necessary
facet to technology.
References
4 Martin, Lister. The photographic image in digital culture. Routledge, 2013.

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Biocca, Frank, and Mark R. Levy, eds. Communication in the age of virtual reality. Routledge,
2013.
Crowley, David, and Paul Heyer. Communication in history: Technology, culture, society.
Routledge, 2015.
Lister, Martin. The photographic image in digital culture. Routledge, 2013.
Last, Moyo. Digital Cultures: Understanding News Media, UK: McGraw, 2009.