XV Международная студенческая научная конференция Студенческий научный форум - 2023

In the modern world, digitalization covers almost all spheres of society. The positive impact of digital technologies on society is confirmed by many factors. However, the development and spread of information technologies also causes a negative effect. Part of society does not have access to modern digital technologies and is cut off from electronic infrastructure. This situation leads to the fact that one part of society can take advantage of digitalization but the other does not have such an opportunity. As a result, the problem of digital inequality arises. At present many modern scientists and specialists are engaged in researching and finding solutions to this problem.

The digital inequality is primarily manifested in the lack of access to modern devices among a part of the population. According to the World Bank experts, in 2018, 3.8 billion people worldwide were not among the Internet users, although 3.1 billion of them were in the area of broadband access. This demonstrates that digital inequality arises due to setting of high prices for digital devices that make them inaccessible to a part of society [1].

According to Gartner experts, in 2020, 6.08 billion modern digital devices were in use worldwide. Among these devices, smartphones are the most popular, their number was 4.3 billion, the rest - laptops, ultrabooks, tablets, personal computers. The number of users of these devices is less than their total number. In 2020, there were 125 computers per 100 people. These data indicate that several personal computers or smartphones may be in use by one person [2]. However, there are segments of the population in which people cannot afford even one such device. The high number of personal computers in operation is not equivalent to uniform Internet access around the world. This is demonstrated by data on the number of Internet users. So for 2019, only 28.2% of the population in Africa has access to the Internet, 72.2% in the CIS countries, 82.5% in Europe [3].

Digital inequality is influenced by the degree of digital infrastructure development in certain regions. Uneven access to Internet connectivity across countries and regions causes the formation of an imbalance of digital opportunities among the population. Some people may have access to digital technologies, but do not have access to an Internet connection due to their geographical location. According to Rosstat, 24% of households in Russian cities do not have Internet access, and 43.5% in rural settlements. Most often, the lack of home Internet is observed in rural settlements with a population of 200 people or less (51.5%), as well as with a population of 201 to 1000 people (50.3%).

There are a number of other reasons for the emergence of digital inequality. This is the lack of a legislative framework to ensure the smoothing of digital inequality, high mobility of the population, which changes their place of residence and work; a concentration of highly literate people in the digital sphere in one place.

To solve the problem of digital inequality, experts propose a number of measures. Among them:

1. Conducting an in-depth analysis of the situation with digital inequality in countries and highlighting the main problems for the regions.

2. Increasing the level of digital literacy of the population by forming public opinion, creating a strong digital and ICT base, creating training programs and centers.

3. State support for the availability of means of access to the network and ensuring access to digital technologies for low-income segments of society.

4. Increasing the number of points of free access to the network and reducing the cost of Internet tariffs.

5. Development of the scientific and practical basis in this field (active holding of scientific seminars, round tables, etc. with the participation of specialists most competent in the field of the problem of "information inequality"). Conducting seminars and free classes to educate citizens.

6. Increasing the number of hours devoted to ICT and digital technologies in educational programs [4].

Summing up, it should be said that the development and spread of information technologies entails the emergence of a number of new problems for society: the gap in access to education among the population, the decline in financial literacy, the emergence of new barriers to employment, and so on. Digital inequality is an issue in all countries of the world and requires special attention, research and finding ways to overcome it.

Literature:

1. The Internet as a luxury: what is digital inequality and how to overcome it [Electronic resource]. // trends.rbc.ru - Electronic data. URL: https://trends.rbc.ru/trends/industry/6172591c9a79471433d3fd60

2. The number of computer users in the world [Electronic resource]. // doma35.ru - Electronic data. URL: https://doma35.ru/computers/kolichestvo-polzovateley-kompyuterov-v-mire

3. List of countries by the number of Internet users [Electronic resource]. // ru.wikipedia.org - Electronic data. URL: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Список_стран_по_числу_пользователей_Интернета

4. Information inequality and ways to overcome it [Electronic resource]. // studopedia.ru - Electronic data. URL: https://studopedia.ru/13_66401_informatsionnoe-neravenstvo-i-puti-ego-preodoleniya.html