Initial Proposal

           Throughout the entirety of this course, we have further delved into issues revolving around the concept of the digital divide. As a class, we have contemplated the controversial notion of whether some racial groups receive a greater access to the Internet and other forms of the digital media. As groundwork for my digital story, I propose to further explore the racial gap that prevents some minorities from receiving equal access to the digital media. I am also aiming to correlate the concept of the digital divide and whether the racial gap lines up with the statistics of low and high-income wages.

            I propose to set the scene of my digital story with a YouTube video entitled “Digital Divide” touching upon the basic facets of the racial gap in the digital media. This video states the issue of the lack of technology among minorities such as Hispanics and African Americans. This video also focuses upon the concept of the economic gap that plagues the digital divide and its relation with racial groups. This video further explains how these obstacles that are presented to the underprivileged exhibit the ability to perform everyday tasks such as submitting a job resume, researching a project online, filling out medical information, and so on. The video also summarizes the notion that states that in order to break this gap, we must implement a plan for equal opportunity that equips those who have not grown up with technology the necessary tools for technological success.

            In order to add further credibility to my statement, I am going to reference an article written by Jesse Washington in the Associated Press. This article specifically narrows in on the technological difficulties that are presented to both African Americans and Hispanics alike. The article first states that both African Americans and Hispanics are only able to afford access to the Internet through mobile devices. Though this may initially appear as a positive technological feat in the digital divide, sole access to a mobile device creates many hindrances. First and foremost, simple tasks such as filling out job applications online prove to be a difficult undertaking on a mobile device. In a society that is increasingly technologically and Internet based, it is essential to gain access to a computer at home. However, many African Americans and Hispanics have limited access to a computer due to the economic gap that is depicted.

            In my digital story I am also going to propose possible solutions in order to lessen the technological gap that exists between races. I would then explore different groups whose mission is to bridge the gap between races and provide an equal access to technology among all races. Therefore, by bridging the gap of the digital divide, the United States can gravitate more towards a society that prospers in democracy, economic growth and equality, and furthermore, social mobility. 

Bibliography

"Digital Divide - ICT Information Communications Technology - 50x15 Initiative." Internet World Stats - Usage and Population Statistics. Web. 30 Sept. 2011. <http://www.internetworldstats.com/links10.htm>.

"Digital Divide - YouTube." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 30 Sept. 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl6k8bBCaoI>.

"New Digital Divide Seen for Minorities on Internet - SFGate." Featured Articles From The SFGate. 13 Feb. 2011. Web. 30 Sept. 2011. <http://articles.sfgate.com/2011-02-13/business/28532467_1_latinos-web-access-broadband-access>.

Blog Post 6

Personally, I do not have a wide range of knowledge when it comes to Twitter. This is perhaps due to my little experience and exposure to this social networking cite. I do not have a Twitter account opened nor do the majority of my friends. My experience with Twitter has been so minimal that I am able to count the number of times I have visited Twitter online on one hand. In a society focusing on the increase of dependency on the digital media, perhaps it is time to break out of my shell and give Twitter a try. However, there is part of me that hesitates to embark into the world of Twitter mania. I am not quite assured of its purpose as a sound social media site. In fact, on the surface, Twitter appears to be merely a limb of the intricate Facebook anatomy, merely posting statuses and updating random friends and acquaintances regarding trivial adventures of the day or thoughts and opinions that could not be repressed. However, after reading “Twitter Literacy” by Howard Rheingold, I am determined to view Twitter in a new light with an open mind. After reading the article, I believe that Twitter presents a plethora of positive facets to the world of journalism. This cite enables the user to practice his or her first amendment right to freedom of speech by freely expressing  political or social opinions to a community of readers, thus creating a bound through the written word. However, the power of freedom of speech equipped to the users of Twitter can be misused and manipulated as in any site on the internet. 21^st Century literary skills tend to be overlooked when teaching computer skills in an academic environment. Most high school and elementary school teachers have little experience and a low level of 21^st century literacy due to the fact that they are new to this language developed around the digital media. Since this new development cannot be taught properly in most academic environments, the majority of students simply utilize their own experience on the internet and teach themselves, which can potentially be teeming with flaws.

The Digital Divide

            At the current moment in time, I considered myself quite computer savvy. However, this inclination towards the media cannot be accredited at all to my previous educational environment. Though computers were always positioned at easy access in both my grade school and high school, teachers did not properly instruct their students how to navigate the web. Though computer classes were required, the material that we covered was somewhat a joke due to the fact that some students would be even more knowledgeable than the teacher when it came to basic computer technology. As a result of growing up in an era where our generation is immersed with technology, I believe that I was my best teacher. Since I was always surrounded by a computer beginning at a young age, I believe that I learned through doing resulting in being faster learner than my parents who did not encounter modern computer technology until later in their life. One of the reasons I learned by doing was because there is a wide range of information offered on the web that can further enhance one’s understanding of literature, culture, science, math, and essentially all facets of education. Honestly, I feel that homework in both high school and grade school would not have been accomplished as efficiently as it had been if it was not for the wide range of information accessible on the Internet. The Internet can reveal itself to be jungle of opportunities, but can also pose dangerous complications if misused. This is why we must be smart when it comes to our knowledge of the Internet and implement a technology program into our school systems that proves beneficial to the students of today of all backgrounds, financial states, and race instructing them how to be “Internet smart.” This is the only way we can ultimately defeat the digital divide.  

Where Race Lives

Based off of prior knowledge concerning social justice in the political world of today, I firmly believe that matters of social justice are intertwined with issues dealing with power, discrimination, and oppression. Questions often arise surrounding the grey area of whether certain minorities are treated with due justice. One issue that is often associated with these assumptions is the question of race. Minorities have often been deprived of their God-given rights due to the color of their skin. Though we have progressed with great strides since the time of slavery, white only voting rights, public segregation, and so on, people are still discriminated against as a result of the stereotypes that are placed upon their genetic background. The first subconscious action that a plethora of people tend to make is classifying others by their appearance. This subjective act causes people to automatically assume traits or characteristics about the person, which may not necessarily be true. By stereotyping these characteristics in a discriminatory manner, we unleash the potential to hinder one’s true ability. In the American government of today, racial minorities are underrepresented, ultimately skewing the political system. If a certain racial minority is not represented fairly in the governmental system, certain rights may be overlooked. Also, certain minorities may not be given a fair chance of employment and equal wages to those of a white male.  According to these concrete examples, justice directly correlates with matters of oppression, power, and discrimination because each of these facets is utilized to infringe on the rights of another, thus causing harm to the common good. 

The Scope of Social Justice

As previously stated in the blog regarding “The Ones Who Walked Away from Omelas,” two theories regarding the concept of social justice were formed. The first is that the principles of social justice such as solidarity and equality can be found in a utopian society. In other words, a utopian society is a just society nourishing the human dignity of all by promoting the common good. The other theory formulated is that suffering is inevitable. The existence of suffering is unavoidable thus blemishing the notion of a utopian society and deeming the concept as nothing more than a naïve figment of the imagination. As previously depicted in “The Ones Who Walked Away from Omelas,” there will always be that one person enduring pain and suffering, thus contributing to a continuous and contagious epidemic of suffering, furthermore contradicting the previously stated theory. The blog preceding touched upon this contradiction implementing the explanation that if suffering exists everywhere, hence a utopian society is completely unattainable to achieve.  Therefore, can social justice truly be incorporated in the reality of society if equality and the commitment to solidarity can never exist and instead suffering plagues our mere existence?

Miller begins his analysis of social justice by introducing basic questions regarding the concept of social justice itself. He brushes upon the theory concerning what social justice is and whether or not it is implemented in the world of today. Similar to the definition of social justice previously comprised in “Blog 2,” Miller states that social justice is often perceived as the equality of distribution of goods and services to society as a whole. He illustrates his points reflecting upon the issue of employment, government policies, and other issues that raise the question whether to provide all people with benefits essential to thrive.

Miller delves deeper into his analysis of the fundamentals of social justice by citing philosophers such as Aristotle and John Mill. One key phrase that Miller notes is “distributive justice.” He even furthers his explanation of the connection between distributive justice and social justice stating that the two are capable of being interchangeable. Distributive justice encompasses all facets of what an individual needs and what an individual receives based off of his or her particular needs. An individual has equal access to opportunities. What they do with that opportunity determines their success or failure. Access to the opportunity does not guarantee success. This principle is furthermore employed into issues surrounding jobs, education, and so on. One illustration of this standard is given in this example that a person with an advanced level of education will therefore be given a higher wage than a person with a minimal amount of schooling. Essentially, what one puts in is what one receives in return. Even in menial jobs such as garbage collecting, a person’s self-esteem can be realized if he takes pride in his profession, even though he may not make as much money as a CEO.

In “The Scope of Social Justice,” Miller alludes to the previous mentioned theory regarding whether a society of social justice is a utopian society. According to Miller, “ an agency with the power and directing capacity that the state is supposed to have is essential if a theory of justice is to be more than a utopian ideal.” Summarizing this point, this initial theory is simply refuted. In accordance to this selected statement, Miller says that utopian ideals and the principles of social justice must be disconnected in order to achieve true justice. Rather, social justice relies on the functioning of the society, often leading to the questioning of political authority. As long as political power is tainted, social justice, and moreover true distributive justice, while never be properly instilled. In reference to the theory addressing suffering, Miller focuses more on whether distribution is just rather than the sole well being of the person. Which as a result, leads me to hypothesize that justice can be widely interpreted. There is no one meaning to the highly debated phrase, “social justice.” Philosopher and philosopher has theorized, argued, and critiqued the concrete definition of social justice. All we know for sure is that social justice carries along a variety of inconsistences based off of what the power of society dictates. In conclusion, social justice is never static; rather, social justice is a dynamic concept that will never be put to rest and will send philosophers thinking in circles decade after decade and century upon century.