Web 2.0 usage : implications of digital divide (T-0674) (MFN 4021)

Abstract

Pakistan is a developing country. Trend of using ICT’s (Information and Communication Technologies) is not yet embedded in Pakistani community. But gradually, Pakistani people are getting aware about the benefit of using ICT’s. Despite the growing awareness there are possibilities of gender, age and area based digital divide. The expression “digital divide” is normally described in terms of gaps between those who can efficiently use new technological tools, such as the Internet, and those who cannot; also this term is sometime used to refer the perception that the society should not be divided into “information haves” and “information have-nots”. The goals of this research are twofold. First, we conducted a survey on presence of “digital divide” in urban and rural areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Second, through a case study we see the effect of usability problems of social networking sites. From this, we discuss the dynamic relationship between the web 2.0 based sites and their contribution in bringing people towards using ICT. Our results indicates presence of age based and area based digital divide, but gender based digital divide is disappearing in our targeted area. The survey results also supported our hypothesis about web 2.0 based sites that they are playing a major role in attracting people towards using ICT. Our case study survey indicated some major usability problems for two most famous social networking sites. Solving these usability issues can help in bringing more nontechnical people towards using internet and communication technologies.