Monday, November 21, 2005

$100 Laptop for Every Kid?

I bookmarked an article in delicious titled "Can $100 Laptops Save the World?" and will like to follow up with a short comment. The article reports that Nick Negroponte's idea of helping to bridge the digital divide is to give $100 laptops to poor kids around the globe. I see this as a great idea, especially as these laptops will not ran on electricity (which is unavailable in most parts of the world).

The only problem I have with interventions of this nature is that we often think that the issue of the digital divide is only about access to digital resources. There are a lot more deep seated socio-economic factors that all culminate in making and keeping this divide, and not until all these issues are addressed, adhoc measures will only probably widen the divide further. I can bet that currently, there are some schools in some parts of Sub-Saharan Africa now that have well-equipped computer labs and internet connections, but are not being patronized by the kids. Why? Over 80% of the kids are out in the streets and markets working to earn a living as well as support their families. What such kids will do with a laptop is anybody's guess.

So whilst we wish that Negroponte realizes his ambition, it is my prayer that this venture does not go exacerbate the divide by making the few comfortable kids benefit whilst the majority are left behind.

3 Comments:

At 12:49 PM, Blogger matt curinga said...

You make good points about the limits of what technology (and schools in general) can do. In isolation, their effectiveness is hindered. When issues of economics, health, transportation, equity, etc. are not addressed, $100 laptops seem to be icing with no cake; with little chance that they will be used effectively, if used at all.

I think that Ulises Mejias proposes an interesting solution to this problem.
He writes:
"social software must live up to its name by relating to the individual’s everyday social practices, which include interacting with people online as well as people without access to these technologies. I conclude that social software can positively impact pedagogy by inculcating a desire to reconnect to the world as a whole, not just the social parts that exist online."

Working from this model, technology can be used to counter the "deep seated socio-economic factors" that reinforce the digital divde. If we implement technology and social software that is tangible and relevant to users, its benefits can resonate throughout the entire (physical) community.

 
At 11:51 AM, Blogger Ulises said...

I think there will always be a digital divide, because new technologies are part of market dynamics, and small elites benefit from the technologies before they become available (if ever) to the rest of the masses. The challenge, as I've said elsewhere (and Matt points out) is to see if we --as part of the elite groups with access to the technology-- can use them to do more to correct social inequalities. So I agree with you, $100 laptops would be nice, but they won't solve the world's problems. However, they might help more people collaborate in the solution of the world's problems (I hope).

 
At 11:38 PM, Blogger Jonah said...

Also, consider that the laptop has stubbornly insisted upon running free software, even after Steve Jobs offered free versions of os x...

Once the users become bored with the games, some of them might crack open the hood and have access to the code running this computer. This represents far more power than "voice" as the killer app of the third world. There is alot of knowledge contained in that little box, even when its not connected to the internet.

 

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