Module 7 – Digital Divide, Neo-Luddism & Evaluating Information Resources

Vocabulary flashcards that cover core terms and concepts from the lecture on the digital divide, Neo-Luddism, and evaluating information resources.

Digital Divide

The gap between people who have access to technology and digital literacy and those who do not.

Information & Communications Technology (ICT)

A broad set of tools—such as computers, mobile phones, and the internet—used to create, store, share, or exchange information.

Technology Leg of Digital Divide

The availability of adequate devices (e.g., computers, tablets, smartphones) needed to participate online.

Internet Access Leg

Reliable, affordable connectivity that lets users reach online resources.

Digital Literacy Leg

The skills and know-how required to use digital tools effectively and safely.

Homework Gap

The disadvantage schoolchildren face when they receive internet-based assignments but lack home access.

Global Digital Divide

Inequities in technology access between countries or world regions; include geographic, socioeconomic, age, gender, social digital, and language

Geographic Divide

Technology gaps caused by where people live—especially differences between rural and urban areas.

Socioeconomic Divide

Disparity in digital access based on income and economic status.

Age Divide

Differences in technology use and adoption between younger and older generations.

Gender Divide

Lower levels of digital access, skills, or usage experienced by women in some regions.

Social Digital Divide

Online communities that form around shared interests, potentially excluding those without access.

Language Divide

Barriers created when online content is not available in a person’s primary language.

Causes of the Digital Divide

Factors such as geography, income, motivation, education, age, race, culture, and language that limit digital access.

Consequences of the Digital Divide

Restricted information access, educational inequities, limited job prospects, slower economic growth, and social isolation.

Telehealth

Remote healthcare services delivered through digital networks, inaccessible to those without broadband or devices.

Internet Penetration (ITU 2022)

• 89% in Europe

• Over 80% in the America

• 70% in the Arab States

• 64% in Asia

• 40% in Africa

Internet for All (IFA) Initiative

U.S. federal plan aiming to provide affordable high-speed internet to everyone by 2029.

Neo-Luddism

A philosophy opposing many modern technologies, often advocating simpler living or halting tech development.

New-Luddite Views

Beliefs that computers cause unemployment, social inequity, environmental harm, and erosion of human values.

CRAAP Test

A five-part checklist—Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose—for evaluating information quality.

Currency (CRAAP)

Assesses how timely and up-to-date the information or its links are.

Relevance (CRAAP)

Evaluates whether the information meets the user’s needs and target audience level.

Authority (CRAAP)

Judges the credibility of the author, publisher, or sponsoring organization.

Accuracy (CRAAP)

Determines the reliability, evidence, and correctness of the content.

Purpose (CRAAP)

Identifies why the information exists—inform, teach, sell, entertain, or persuade—and checks for bias.

Credible Sources

Materials from government sites, universities, peer-reviewed journals, and reputable news outlets.

Less Credible Sources

Blogs, forums, and sites with potential ulterior motives or unchecked content.

URL Top-Level Domain

The ending of a web address (e.g., .gov, .edu, .org) that hints at a site’s nature and trustworthiness.

Evaluating Information Resources

The process of critically assessing sources for credibility, bias, and reliability using tools like the CRAAP test.