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http://dx.doi.org/10.22693/NIAIP.2021.28.4.003

A Critical Review of 'Digital Divide' Research: Trend, Shortcomings and Future Directions  

Kim, Mun-Cho (Korea University)
Publication Information
Informatization Policy / v.28, no.4, 2021 , pp. 3-18 More about this Journal
Abstract
The 'digital divide' is regarded as a latent dysfunction that impedes the intrinsic role of information to contribute to social equality. Therefore, it has drawn great attention inside and outside of academia. The growing interest in the digital divide has been driven by the realization that it can create a serious crisis that threatens a social system compounded by existing economic, social, and cultural inequality, rather than being limited to an uneven distribution of information. In this paper (1) studies on the digital divide published since 1970 are reviewed, (2) studies noteworthy of discussion are selected to assess their academic significance, and (3) the tasks and prospects of digital divide research are explored. Although meaningful achievements have been amassed through continuous interest and efforts of the academic community, two limitations are raised; the gap between pure research and policy research that hinders the working of synthetic imagination, and the intellectual lag falling behind a rapidly changing society. In addition, it is suggested that the operation, curation, and augmentation gaps would emerge as new agenda for digital divide research in the intelligent information age.
Keywords
digital divide; social inequality; AI; intelligence society; neo-civilization;
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