The Neglected Digital Super-Highway

The hope for a level playing field on the Internet, that "everyone" would take advantage of the Internet to improve their knowledge, skills and literacy, isn't what's happening. Fifteen years ago the struggle was to get people in front of an Internet connected machine. That achieved, very little happened. In the last 6 years the struggle was to get "broadband into every home:, and we've pretty much done that in New Zealand. Net result, very little, people still don't use their connections.

So what's wrong here? Partly it's just transition time, it takes a long time for people to change their habits of thought and action. So, in one sense there's nothing wrong except the expectation that the technology itself would make a difference. It won't. What people choose to DO, has to change.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• a long time
• change their habits
• habits of thought
• expectation
• technology
• make a difference
• choose to DO
• personal reasons
• active online
• modern people
• involved
• community
• skill levels
• technical skills
• need to learn
• easy to do
• self reinforcing
• new understanding
• social networks
• learn the skills