The Digital Divide

It's one thing to have technology available, 
but another thing to know how to use it

By Theresa A. Helmlinger

Digital exclusion. Is it real? Does it divide our country? Is there a larger issue at stake for businesses and industries? Certainly.

Much of the prevailing rhetoric surrounding the Internet and, really, every other major technological advancement of the past has been that this technology will narrow traditional socio-economic gaps. This technology will even the playing field. This technology can be used by members of minority groups to propel themselves into a better way of life. But in order for these groups to reap the rewards of the technology they must have access to it. If we begin closing the gap between the “haves” and the “have-nots” with respect to technology, then we can begin to eliminate part of that which distinguishes those of different races, genders, geographic areas, economic classes, and so on. This is what many have said.

For example, according to Falling Through the Net, a report published in July 1999 by the U.S. Department of Commerce, “Providing public access to the Internet will help these groups (the “have-nots”) advance economically, as well as provide them the technical skills to compete professionally in today's digital economy.” So, this is what we have done. Both public and private organizations have created programs to provide Internet access to those who do not have it. Computers with Internet connections are now ubiquitous in public libraries and in schools across our nation. They are available to anyone who wants to use them.

Then why is it that certain sections of the digital divide continue to widen? According to the report, gaps in the digital divide between people of different races, education levels, and income levels are getting wider, and rural areas in the south (which includes much of North Carolina), along with the inner cities of the northeast, are the least connected of all urban, rural, and inner city areas in the US.

If the answer is not availability, then perhaps it is education. Certainly, it is one thing to have the technology available, but it is another thing to know how to use it. At this time, it seems the “haves” and “have-nots” refer less to those who do or do not have access to the technology and more to those who do or do not have the education and training to use the technology to its potential.

Now what does this have to do with North Carolina business and industry? Everything. Business and industry are all about technology. It is true that having the right computer hardware and software for your particular needs, the right production equipment, the right waste disposal system helps a company compete in the marketplace. Here again, though, access to these items does not ensure success. If we consider the Internet to be representative of technology as a whole, then we understand that people don't just need access to technology, they need training. Many companies have the equipment that they need to run a successful business; instead many are sinking or barely staying afloat. True success comes when the people using the technology know how to get the most out of it—when they know how to use it for productivity, efficiency, and innovation.

Organizations like N.C. State's Industrial Extension Service, now IES, are in place to facilitate the transfer of this knowledge. North Carolina's businesses need to learn efficiency; we need to learn how to reduce waste and conserve energy. Our manufacturers need to learn how to get the most out of their equipment and their employees and how to produce the highest quality products at the lowest cost. Our companies need to learn how to reduce accidents and MSDs (musculoskeletal disorders). We need to ensure that our employees and communities are safe — that we do not contribute to the degradation of the air we breathe and the water we drink, and thus we do not tarnish our reputations as upstanding members of our communities, local and global.

These are all areas in which IES excels. We train organizations of all kinds to use technology, theory, and good business sense to promote success. Our affiliation with N.C. State University allows us to exist as a “node on the network” of information between industry needs and university knowledge. If IES does not have the capabilities or skills to help with a specific problem, we serve as a “matchmaker” to find the answer in other state or private organizations.

The Age of the Internet is the age of the little guy, the underdog. We are entering a time when, because technologies are becoming more affordable and are connecting us on an international level — the big corporations and the local manufacturers — opportunities for small companies to make large profits exist like never before. As a state-run organization, we have a stake in the success of our businesses and industries, and it is in North Carolina's companies that we invest our pride.

Our interest in the prosperity of the state leads us to one of today's great challenges — to fill the gap between the information “haves” and “have-nots.” For us this means making sure that North Carolina's smaller companies get the knowledge and the skills they need to use available technologies to their advantage. In so doing, we can help to ensure that each company that is willing to work for success achieves it.

Theresa Helmlinger of Raleigh is executive director of the Industrial Extension Service at N.C. State University.

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