The following sections describe the level of Internet use in several countries. The difference in the number of users and the unique way each country approaches the issue of Internet expansion in their own borders reflects the presence of a digital divide. Arguably, a correlation exists between the success of these nations and their use of the Internet. By learning more about Internet use in these four countries, one can decide how strong the correlation is between the success of a nation and internet use in that nation. In addition, this information will better allow one to determine the importance that countries should place upon bridging the digital divide to achieve success as a nation.

Current International Examples

Take an Interactive Quiz

Which form of government is most similar (in ideals) to how you would deal with the problem of the digital divide? Take our online quiz and find out:

Click here to take the quiz
(Close the quiz window after you view your results to return to this site.)
(We hope Professor McAdams will use a quiz such as this one as an activity in his future classes.)

International Opinions

Our group discussed internet use and the issue of the digital divide with people in Malaysia and South Korea. Through these discussions, we learned how people in these countries learned how to operate computer technology, the way they currently receive internet access, and reasons why they use the internet.

Malaysia

(Conversations with three Malaysians took place in an international chat-room.)

Contacts:

• "MusterBEE"- a 45 year-old Chinese male from Kilumpur, Malaysia
• "Sweetjessy" - a Malaysian female
• "Webhelper 19" - a Malaysian male from Selangor, Malaysia

Information learned:

• Taught themselves how to use computers and the internet, usually by playing computer games and internet games
• Receive internet access from Cyber Cafes
• Internet access in their private homes is too expensive
• Use the internet mostly for entertainment and communication purposes like chat-rooms, playing online games, and e-mail
• MusterBEE uses the internet to invest in the stock market, especially in the Hong Kong stock "Hang Seng"

South Korea

Contact:

• 1st Lt. in the Army

Information Learned:

• South Korea is developing internet capability faster than the U.S. by focusing on providing community access for a fee through internet cafes
• Koreans purchase their electronics at huge distribution centers called Electronics Markets
• Many Koreans, Americans, and people from other countries go to PC bongs, which allow people to surf the net and play online video games