Högskolan i Skövde

A new technology gradually spreads into a population. When only some individuals use a new technology, we have a technological divide. All citizens should be able to perform their duties and exercise their rights. From a policy point of view, it is of clear interest to find out if the introduction of a new technology leaves some persons behind. In this paper, we present information about the internet use in Sweden 2000 and 2006 by category. We find evidence of a digital divide for both years. By comparing the two years, we find that the digital divide got smaller during this period. We present forecasts for the use of internet and the outcome is that the digital divide will be negligible around 2050. The analysis clearly identifies the characteristics related to lagging behind. In that way, the digital divide is an easy policy target.

There are two distinctly different ways to handle the digital divide. The first is simply to accept the situation as it is. If some persons pay their bills over the internet and others pay in the traditional way, both systems have to be functional. The second is to close down all traditional systems. Then many persons will not be able to participate in the democracy in a complete way. This could be solved by giving individuals with certain characteristics a computer, internet connections, schooling, and all technical support needed (including getting it all to work). Obviously, it is also an option to choose a midway policy.