What are digital generations? You can look at it from several viewpoints. As a singular view, a digital generation can be considered as encompassing only people who were born into or raised in the digital era, meaning with wide-spread access to modern-age technology such as smartphones, tablets, computers, and digital information like the internet.
One can also say that digital generation is the generation of humans whose generational location places their birth and developmental experiences during a time of widespread access to digital computing technologies and whose exposure to and experience with those technologies led to a technological comfort and expertise with those technologies that surpasses those of prior generations.
But for this overview, we prefer the viewpoint that every living person today be it a woman or a man can be considered part of a digital generation, because — no matter how much we engage with technology — we are living in a digital-first world.
Of course, the degree to which each person is comfortable and willing to embrace technology is also dependent on his/her willingness to involve with the trend.
In this article we will be seeing how we could strike a balance on the gender inequality on the access to digital life (access to technology and the internet) .
The digital divide, or technology gap, is the difference between groups with access to technology and the internet and those without.
Girls and women often have less access to technology and the internet compared to boys and men. Particularly in developing countries, girls and women struggle to afford technology and internet access. In addition, stereotypes around technology being ‘for boys’ and fear of being discriminated against stop girls from using digital tools.
Without equal access to technology and the internet, girls and women are not able to equally participate in our ever more digital societies. Holding back girls and women in this area affects every aspect of their lives, including their ability to speak out and campaign on issues that affect them.
Moreover, if girls and women are not involved in creating digital tools and online content, they may exacerbate existing inequalities.
The gender technology gap also negatively impacts countries’ potential for economic growth and development. Imagine if 600 million more women are connected to the internet in 3 years, this would translate to a spontaneous rise in global GDP.
The Benefits Of Digital Empowerment.
Digital literacy has become almost as important as traditional literacy.
Over 90% of jobs worldwide already have a digital component* and most jobs will soon require sophisticated digital skills. If governments equip girls with digital skills through prioritising education in ICT subjects, they will help girls thrive in economies where routine work has been automated and digital skills are prized.
Digitalization offers a variety of opportunities for female empowerment and for a more equal female participation in labour markets, financial markets, and entrepreneurship. Currently, digitalization seems to favour female labour force that faces lower risk of being replaced by machines, as compared to male labour force. Women’s often superior social skills represent a comparative advantage in the digital age, and this is particularly so when social skills are complemented with higher education and advanced digital literacy.
Technology can also be a powerful tool for girls to become activists and lead change on issues that affect them. Social media platforms, for instance, allow activists to reach a wide audience and organise action towards common causes.
In conclusion we must harness the power of technology and use innovative solutions to extend our reach and impact. We must focus on the rights of girls, who are most vulnerable to being left behind as the world around us changes.”
It is our responsibility to ensure that instead of being barriers, technology and the internet become enablers for girls and women.
School is often the first place where children are introduced to technology as well as learning the literacy and numeracy skills to make the most of these digital tools. Therefore, we ensure girls and women have equal access to learning relevant technical skills and digital literacy in school and through training programmes to be able to take advantage of technology and digital tools.
Through our global, international day for the girl child, with the theme “Digital Generation” we are campaigning for a world where girls can live and lead without fear or discrimination. This includes demanding that girls have a right to be safe online and be free to speak up without harassment.