digital divide

[ dij-i-tl di-vahyd ]

noun

1. the socioeconomic and other disparities between those people who have opportunities and skills enabling them to benefit from digital resources, especially the internet, and those who do not have these opportunities or skills:

   programs that help to bridge the digital divide between rich and poor countries.

digital divide

noun

1. informal.
   the gap between those people who have internet access and those who do not

digital divide

1. A term that describes the division of the world into two camps, those who have access to the Internet and other advanced information technologies and those who don't. The term highlights the issue that those who do not have access to such technology are potentially destined to futures where they will be at an economic disadvantage.

Notes

In domestic political terms in the United States, the divide is between educated, well-off members of society and those who are less well-off.

In geopolitical terms, the divide is between the developed and the developing nations , or, roughly speaking, between the North and the South.

Word History and Origins

Origin of digital divide¹

First recorded in 1990–95

Example Sentences

It also helps to bridge the hard-to-reach digital divide.

From BBC

If students don’t have a say in the new policies, schools may have trouble with compliance, said students who attended California Supt. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond’s Task Force to Close the Digital Divide meeting Tuesday.

From Los Angeles Times

Allowing the program to expire, he said, “will undo the progress we’ve made in closing the digital divide. It would take us back to the dark ages.”

From Los Angeles Times

In Los Angeles, the federal program has played an important role in the county’s effort to close the digital divide, which was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

From Los Angeles Times

Lawmakers should continue to help bridge the nation’s digital divide.

From Seattle Times