51 9.1 Introduction

This open resource chapter talks about the great digital divide and how it affects students in today’s education. I decided to focus on the digital divide in regard to the lack of access many students have to technology and quality internet. In recent years, the usage of educational technology has increased in the classrooms, and a lot of the time, it is expected to be used outside of the school. Unfortunately, the sad truth is that many students have different access to technology and the Internet than their peers. This has become more apparent since COVID-19, when all classes were expected to be online. Some students could not access class, while others were forced to share one computer between multiple individuals within the home. Many students in rural areas did not have quality Internet access to pair with the technology they possessed. Unfortunately, this divide still causes great stress for many families who are struggling and continues to hinder students’ education (Adams, 2024). In a country with so many opportunities and as the digital world continues to boom, we must focus on closing the digital divide and allowing every individual and home more access to the internet and technology.