Implications of the Digital Divide from Participation Gaps and the affect of Mobility in Future Years

Personally, I believe that there is a "digital divide" because of a past generational "participation gap" that has lingered over to following generations. The "digital divide" is extremely evident in parts of society today and is sometimes seen through people and companies capitalizing on it. This ability to adapt on certain technologies is in our nature and something that should not be resisted. But unfortunately, there has been "outcasts" to what is considered normal (though abstractly) and those tended to be the worse off in history. In short, what I am trying to say is that this digital divide will lead/ is leading to a bigger participation gap and will most likely make people more unemployed and on the lower side of socio-economic status.

It is already evident that much of the participation gap has set in just by the evolving characteristics of everyday life. We have single mothers and fathers, grandparents raising grandchildren, and other circumstances that do not always allow a ready access to technology. This can be for either monetary or time reasons. It seems as though your socio-economic status directly effects how you use the internet and other mobile or technological devices. 

Depending on how the next three to five years go for our economy I could see the gap and divide shrink or widen in certain aspects. In relation to what I read, The State of the 2012 Election- Mobile Politics by the PEW Research Center, there is going to be a definite change in how people use mobility towards not only their life, but also politics and elections.
In the research, it was found that 88% of all registered voters have a cell phone and about 75% use texting and about 50% have a smartphone. These remarkably high percentages suggest that cell phone usage has surpassed a certain point where it can be used in politics. Because of the amount of people that have a cell phone and can receive texts or other media on their phone, it serves as a new outlet for politics.
But the prime thing that I believe will change in the next 3-5 years is the usage and implementation of smartphones. Though only about half of all registered voters have a smartphone, there is an undeniable shift occurring that is making the primary phone be only smart and not basic. In the market, for instance, all advertising and push for products is toward smartphones. It seems as though basic cell phones are being produced less and less to almost force a buyer to purchase a smartphone. This has major implications for the participation gap. Due to money, people might not be able to afford smartphones and thus, miss out on a new and evolving part of political campaigns and elections. These people are the same who already have disparities through computers and other technologies, and most likely living situations as well. Though the usage and implementation of technology is seen as a positive to pioneer the future, it is sometimes forgotten that not everyone can adapt and be a part of this creation.

Pioneering Privacy

On May 2, 2012, Martin O'Malley signed S.B. 433 in to law. This relatively new law takes on a portion of privacy control never really discussed before-- online privacy and the workplace. What S.B. 433 is prohibit employers from requesting the social media passwords or accessing the social media accounts of prospective and current employees. This is the first law of its type to be passed in any state, making Maryland a pioneer in civil liberties. The law, which was just enacted October 1st, 2012, will spare prospective or current employees from forking over their personal information such as anything to do with, “computers, telephones, personal digital assistants, and other similar devices,” but does not limit employers from looking at internal system accounts to do with their own company (SHRM).

This began when a Maryland employee was asked by his former employer to provide his Facebook username and password in order to be reinstated. After this incident that he filed with the ACLU against his employer, there was soon a new law that was in the making. He described the incidence as "been violated" and "disrespected".

From this groundbreaking stance on user privacy, it has become a hot-button topic in many other states where the same issues are taking place. Though this new law is being modeled after in other states on how to deal with this in the workplace, there is still the issue of how more and more instances are coming up in other, unprecedented situations. For instance, some schools are requiring students and/or student athletes to friend a teacher or coach in order to modify their behaviors and interactions. This is also happening with some companies where they require you to friend an HR page that you cannot hide settings from. Does this not also cut into personal user privacy?

In my own opinion, there should be a strict line between what is and what is not privacy. Unfortunately, there is always some sort of situation that blurs the boundaries and calls for a much more in-depth look as to what privacy entails.

In an age where the internet is growing rapidly and social media has a major grasp on our lives, it seems that privacy would be of utmost importance to people. Yet, you would be surprised at how many peoples Facebook and Twitter pages are out and open for the stalking and gathering of information.
Even if people see that there are laws protecting there privacy in situations like these, do they understand what privacy really is? Or if they, or all of us, even have any?