digital divide

noun

: the economic, educational, and social inequalities between those who have computers and online access and those who do not

Examples of digital divide in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Tens of millions of Americans still don’t have access to high-speed home internet, the FCC added Thursday in a new report highlighting the digital divide. Brian Fung, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024 California is still struggling to bring broadband to rural regions and low-income urban neighborhoods, years after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation to bridge the digital divide. Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards, The Mercury News, 9 Mar. 2024 Related: New federal rules demand transparency into AI models used in health decisions But the proposal leaves substantial gaps and would likely worsen the digital divide that prevents many low-resource medical sites from using AI safely and effectively. Mark P. Sendak, STAT, 7 Feb. 2024 Despite the challenges posed by the digital divide, Black leaders are harnessing technology to address environmental issues in their communities creatively. Monica Sanders, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 That lack of access to reliable Internet is roughly four to five times higher in rural communities (17 percent) and on tribal land (21 percent), respectively, contributing to a digital divide that disproportionately impacts already underserved communities. Tyler Carroll, Scientific American, 3 Oct. 2023 Detroit's digital divide has been on the city’s priority list to bridge the gap between residents with access to internet and hardware and those without. Detroit Free Press, 13 Feb. 2024 School closures and moving instruction online exposed the huge digital divide between rich and poor and caused crushing learning loss in children experiencing homelessness. Jem Aswad, Variety, 9 Jan. 2024 For over 20 years, Connected Nation, a national nonprofit, has worked with federal, state, local and tribal agencies to help close that digital divide. Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 19 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'digital divide.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1994, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of digital divide was in 1994

Dictionary Entries Near digital divide

Cite this Entry

“Digital divide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/digital%20divide. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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