Digital Divide

My 5 year old niece has learnt to drag and click the mouse but my 55+ years old Mom is still scared to touch the mouse. That's the digital divide we face today. Two generations living in the same era and yet so different. Will they ever be able to bridge the digital gap, I wonder. One generation born with access to mobiles in one hand and mouse in another and another generation the believer that pen is mightier then sword, still putting pen to paper each day.

What is my niece hooked on to? Well its the Disney playhouse.Its a part of the curriculum from the pre-school she goes to. Sure she gets to learn but not the traditional way. Her teachers are not in school but on the computer screen and TV. Its Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck and yes the next time she goes to any store and sees them around , wont blame her if she insists that she wants those toys. Its an easy trap , even easier marketing gimmick and yet not many of us realize how we fall into this trap.



My Mum on the other end fears computers and technology to no end. For what reason is hard to explain. May be its the novelty or the fear of the unknown. So its likely that the gap that this digital divide is leading to will keep on increasing till something is done to bridge the same. Such efforts seem far fetched.

Digital divide , dividing in the most miniscule way. Its not just hide and seek between the two generations today. Its one generation entering into a world that's pretty much inaccessible to the other!