INTRODUCTION
Throughout the epochs of time the presence of technology in our world has grown exponentially. In today’s society the Internet and access to it has become one of the most fundamental aspects of a person’s everyday life. From the workplace to our everyday social encounters, the Internet undeniably plays a key role. Because the Internet has become so present in our world, access to it is something many people tend to take for granted. If you type the word Internet into wikipedia.com the website will direct you to a web page that asserts: “The Internet is a worldwide publicly accessible system of interconnected computer networks.”
However this definition is not entirely correct and Internet accessibility is not so plain and simple. In fact, throughout history there have been many different groups that have not experienced equal access to the Internet or certain Internet websites. This has led to the development of what is known as “the digital divide.” This phenomenon refers to the inequality between groups of people, especially in relation to economic and social standing and its affects on their access to, use of, or proficiency in managing the virtual world and all it has to offer.
There are a countless number of groups and people who are affected by the digital divide. One group in particular, that has had to overcome the hardships presented by this digital divide, is the American Indians living on the Reservations in Southern California. These tribes have endured much difficulty when it comes to having equal access to certain aspects of the Internet. However, in recent years, some people, companies and advocate groups have gone to great lengths in their efforts to try and provide these tribes with opportunities for equal access to the world wide web. One such effort includes what is known as the Tribal Digital Village, which was set up by the one of the groups people who have much efforts aforementioned. Although the Tribal Digital Village, and projects similar to it, have made great progress there is still a long way to go until American Indians can truly experience equal accessibility to the Internet.
However this definition is not entirely correct and Internet accessibility is not so plain and simple. In fact, throughout history there have been many different groups that have not experienced equal access to the Internet or certain Internet websites. This has led to the development of what is known as “the digital divide.” This phenomenon refers to the inequality between groups of people, especially in relation to economic and social standing and its affects on their access to, use of, or proficiency in managing the virtual world and all it has to offer.
There are a countless number of groups and people who are affected by the digital divide. One group in particular, that has had to overcome the hardships presented by this digital divide, is the American Indians living on the Reservations in Southern California. These tribes have endured much difficulty when it comes to having equal access to certain aspects of the Internet. However, in recent years, some people, companies and advocate groups have gone to great lengths in their efforts to try and provide these tribes with opportunities for equal access to the world wide web. One such effort includes what is known as the Tribal Digital Village, which was set up by the one of the groups people who have much efforts aforementioned. Although the Tribal Digital Village, and projects similar to it, have made great progress there is still a long way to go until American Indians can truly experience equal accessibility to the Internet.