COM 340 Second Post: Digital Divide

Comcast strives to close the gap between those with and without broadband services in their homes, otherwise known as the digital divide.  Internet Essentials is a national program created by Comcast that is offered to families (with at least one child) to connect to the internet in their homes.  This National School Lunch Program has enrolled over 70,000 families to participate in the last six months.

Education is changing due to the increasing use of technology. For many families, obtaining the internet in their own home is not an option.  Without the availability, children fall behind in the knowledge and understanding of new media. “Getting connected has become essential for everyday tasks for families, like doing homework and research, using social media, and paying bills” (Cohen, 2013). For those who have children, Internet Essentials can supply the basic information needed for students in the comfort of their home. Participating in this program will increase the number of younger members of the generation involved with the media and begin to close the digital divide. With other broadband providers considering offering this service, online connection becomes more imperative to have. Internet Essentials is a free service to low-income families, something that is not often provided. Why not take advantage of this? As a student who participated in a reduced lunch program, I would have felt the need to sign up for the program in case I ever needed it. People should absolutely use Internet Essentials in order to allow their children (and themselves) to remain on track with today’s technology. Internet Essentials can potentially be closing of the digital divide, and become the leading cause of mandatory internet access.

A service such as Internet Essentials can change the World Wide Web for the better. By offering free internet to those in need, Internet Essentials can support net neutrality. Each family would need to learn the same information as those who have access, so by honoring net neutrality, everyone would continue to have equal services. I personally feel that students should use the web to their advantage throughout their education. The internet can be a motivation to learn because it possesses so much information. Without it, the digital divide would continue to separate those with more knowledge, than those who cannot live up to today’s expectations. Students using Internet Essentials, whether they attend public or private school or are even home-schooled, can affect how education may become completely digital, changing the internet as more of a means for learning, not just communicating. People that seek to have access help close the digital divide and open more opportunities for success.