Year: 2017
Type: article
Abstract: The increasingly popular use of ICT in different areas of life results in changes of the situations of individuals and entities. However, along with the new possibilities of socioeconomic development, come new risks related to the rise of a new type of inequalities. One of such threats is the digital divide or - in other words - the lack of equal access to the opportunities offered by the Internet and other ICT. The phenomenon of the digital divide applies to both individuals and areas or even countries. The aim of this paper is to introduce the digital divide and the factors influencing the lack of digital convergence with particular emphasis on rural areas of the European Union. In EU's rural areas there is an additional hindrance to achieving digital convergence similar to the urban areas - that is the aging of the population and the progressive depopulation of the countryside.
Source: Ekonomiczne Problemy Usług
Author: Joanna Kos-Łabędowicz
Institution: University of Economics in Katowice
Language: Polish
Topic: ICT Impact and Policies
Subfield: Economics and Econometrics
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $135
OpenAlex ID: W2765938721