53 9.3 Discussion
Technology Access
The digital divide has been an ongoing issue for individuals we have been fighting for the past two decades (Schweitzer, 2024). With the never-ending evolution of technology and wireless connections, individuals have struggled to keep up with technology or have the ability to access quality wireless internet. The digital divide has become more apparent after the last few years as COVID ran rampant when schools and workplaces were forced to move to virtual platforms online. This caused much distress for families with a lack of access to technology or the internet, with multiple individuals finding themselves in the position of having to share technology. In 2019, it was reported that families in Toronto with an income under $50000 had less than one computer per person in the home. (Mapping Toronto’s Digital Divide, 2021). In Ottawa, a survey taken by the Community Housing tenants found that 56 percent of individuals had access to a smartphone with data, 47 percent had access to a laptop, 43 percent had access to a tablet, and 31 percent had access to a desktop computer. (National Post, 2022)
This can significantly affect students academically when more and more work is being done online. Some examples of how educators utilize technology more are virtual classrooms, communication between educators and guardians, collaborative software, Google Classroom, and gamification. While a student may have access to these during school hours, the same can’t be said once a student goes home. As of 2019, 97% of elementary and 100% of secondary school educators admitted using technology as the preferred way to communicate with students and parents (Kapoor, 2019). These communication tools can be in the form of emails, websites or specific school apps such as Edsby. This can cause parents to have a lack of communication, fall behind in their children’s learning, and miss key updates or messages.
Ontario Schools and the BYOD Policy
Some School boards have tried to close the widening gap by adopting a BYOD policy, which in turn allows students to bring their own technology to school in the form of laptops, tablets, or smartphones. Around 33% of elementary and 66% of secondary schools have adopted this policy across Ontario (Kapoor, 2019). While this may seem like a positive way to mend the digital divide gap, many factors must be considered when considering this policy. Some students from high-income areas may take advantage of the policy, while students from lower-income areas and schools who can not afford technology, suffer due to not having adequate technology to participate in the BYOD policy. Allowing students to bring technology to school also opens up the possibility of these personal items potentially going missing and or damaged. This policy also goes against Ontario’s new cellphone ban (Lim, 2024) on schools, and how the BYOD policy will be navigated through this legislation will be interesting to see in the future. While bringing your device to school may seem like a quick fix to students’ education, it should not be relied on as a solid basis for educators to focus lesson plans around.
The digital divide will also play a considerable part in Ontario’s new legislation that states that Ontario high school students must complete two online credits to graduate with an Ontario Diploma. (Ministry of Education, 2022) Although this is a great idea to promote digital literacy and online knowledge, if a student does not have quality access to the internet at home, this can pose great difficulties. While a student may have a computer and compatible internet at school to use, this may only be available during breaks or lunches, hardly giving them enough time to complete lessons and homework solely online.
Internet Accessibility
In 2018, almost half of Canadian households with a household income of under $30,000 a year did not have access to high-speed Internet. One-quarter of lower-income families said they had sacrificed money they should have spent on food or other necessities to be able to afford the Internet. (Internet PoInternet). However, even though an individual may give everything they can to afford wireless Internet, the signal available may not be quality Internet, and the speed will be insufficient for the tasks needed. This is because many internet companies price their Internet that is faster and better quality with a much higher price tag than basic low-speed Internet.
The Effect on Student Education
The ongoing issues regarding access to technology and the Internet can take a significant toll on students’ education. Due to the fact many educators in today’s society use technology daily, they are more likely to assume that students have full access or can find access to the internet or technology. If a student does not have it at home, their only other option is to access a school computer during lunch in their schools or the public library. These options alone are often less than ideal and take up a significant amount of time for the student that should be used for more appropriate tasks. Some schools do have programs where you can borrow a laptop; however, this option is not always available and can lead to students feeling less than or feeling ashamed of their home situation.
Solutions
Although this seems like a never-ending battle of evolving technology and raising prices, some solutions can help mend the gap in the digital divide. With the lack of access to technology as a barrier many youth face, many companies are fighting to get technology into the hands of all needed individuals. ReBoot Canada (ReBoot Canada, 2023) is a great company that helps provide lower-income families and non-profit companies with the needed technology. Computers For Success Canada (Computers for Success Canada, n.d.) is another excellent company aiming to lessen the digital divide in today’s society. This company helps supply refurbished technology to lower-income schools and indigenous communities. The work these companies are doing is a great help in mending the gap in the digital divide. They allow individuals to access technology they may not have otherwise.
Another way to combat the digital divide would be the Right-to-repair legislation (Rosborough, 2021). The fact is, a lot of modern technology is very difficult to repair on your own. Many companies create locks on their devices, creating difficulties when fixing an item independently. These barriers can make fixing a device on its own difficult or impossible, and sometimes, it’s cheaper to toss and buy a new one altogether. The Right to Repair legislation will encourage companies to make technology easier to fix and prolong the life of technology in the hands of consumers. This will not only save the environment from unneeded accumulative waste but will also allow individuals with technology the ability to fix the device and prolong the longevity of the technology.
Funding is another crucial aspect in closing the divide. All schools deserve equal funding, prioritizing schools in lower-income areas (Kapoor, 2019). Funding also needs to be put into infrastructure, mainly in rural neighborhoods that currently do not have access. According to the Ontario Internet Access map (Ontario Internet Access Map, 2024) many communities north of South River have less access to quality internet services or may not have fixed broadband at all.
Although many internet companies still need the infrastructure to provide their services, some companies are still trying to do their part in combating the digital divide. Companies like Rogers have programs such as Connect for Success (Rogers Canada, n.d.), where if qualified, users can get quality internet for cheaper prices. The pricing starts as low as ten dollars a month and goes up depending on speed. Although this does not help areas that do not have the infrastructure in place, it can significantly aid lower-income neighborhoods and families. These types of programs can greatly benefit many individuals, and we hope to see all internet companies follow suit, creating programs for lower-income homes.