SMARTPHONES AND SOCIAL NETWORKS DIGITALLY DIVIDING THE YOUNG AND THE OLD By Justin Oberg

Introduction  Internet has lead to prosperity  Gap has emerged from those who can interact online and those who cannot  The digital divide is the inequality between people based on factors in access and inequalities in the needed skills to use  There is a digital divide between the young and old. Young use smartphones to be online all the time and use social networks to interact with others whereas the old are not.

Smartphones  New York Times reports rise in smartphones  59% of American adults have smartphones vs. 90% have home computers  Same statistics with the people I interviewed  All adults need internet at home, only younger adults require always being online and carrying a smartphone  Access not the only issue  Requires skill

Social Networks  Pew Internet Project reported major divides between different age groups and how much they used social networks  Negative correlation between age and social network use  Same for the ones I interviewed  Young spend more time on social networks socializing because they are exposed as a teenager whereas older adults are exposed to these social networks after they have already developed their social connections

Social Networks  Social networks can be easily manipulating  Young have more experience with social networks whereas older generations lack digital skills  Rushkoff said “we are at the mercy of those who do the programming, the people paying them, or even the technology itself”  Older generations have the least experience and could be easily manipulated

Conclusion  Internet has given us many advancements  Unfortunately, digital divide has formed between the young and the old  Older generations find smartphones hard to use and needless and refrain from developing skills  Older generations who do not social network are at a disadvantage  We need to raise digital literacy, bridge the divide and have everyone skilled and accessible to the online world

Bibliography  Borchardt, Evan. Personal interview. 17 Apr  Crawford, Susan P. "The New Digital Divide." The New York Times. The New York Times, 03 Dec Web. 21 Apr  Federal Communications Commission. “Fact Sheet, American Job Centers Announcement Event.” Federal Communications Commission, 16 July Web. 21 Apr  Lopes, Marco. Personal interview. 19 Apr  Mahan, Stan. Personal interview. 15 Apr  Mossberger, Karen, Caroline J. Tolbert, and Mary Stansbury. Virtual Inequality: Beyond the Digital Divide. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown UP, Print.  Oberg, John. Personal interview. 18 Apr  Oberg, Sean. Personal interview. 18 Apr  Rushkoff, Douglas. Program or Be Programmed: Ten Commands for a Digital Age. Berkeley, CA: Soft Skull, Print.  Zickuhr, Kathryn, and Aaron Smith. "Digital Differences." Pew Internet. Pew Research Center, 13 Apr Web. 21 Apr