How Was the Digital Divide Described?
At the beginning of each interview, the interviewees were asked to consider the following working definition of the digital divide: A social problem caused, in part, by inequities in access to and ability to use ICT. Then, each interviewee was asked how the working definition compares with his or her own. Based on the interview data, the digital divide was generally framed by all of the interviewees in terms that can be understood as issues of social and economic justice. There were notable differences in the specific definitions of the digital divide and no single specific definition of the digital divide emerged from the data. Descriptions of the digital divide tended to focus on a) issues of exclusion; b) erosion of personal rights; c) the evolution of new requirements for membership in the dominant culture; and, d) exacerbation of existing social inequalities. The following discussion explores these four aspects of the digital divide. Issues of Exclusion All of the interviewees obs
