What difference to all this might the 'digital divide' make?

To socioeconomically related access issues within a society?
The obvious argument to this is that the more and more we make this digital divide, the bigger the gap we are creating between that of the young generations and the older generations. Older generations are considered digital immigrants, looking at it pessimistically their behind the times, digital challenged and slow to learn. And when making the comparsion to the youth of today world, who are digitally enhanced, fast learners and at a constant competing level, they have no chance.

"Henry Jenkins suggested that talking about digital natives and digital immigrants will widen the gap between adults (Digital Immigrants) and the youths (Digital Natives) as the adults will be seen as out of touch and the youth will be seen as masterful therefore connoting that they are more powerful. And that this it will result in the contemporary youth been seen as feral, cut off from all adult influences."

This will have a powerful impact on education systems in schools, currently schools use the basic equipment allowing all students to participate and experience wengers communities of practice. Alot of Schools currently have IT rooms in which children and students work together sharing online learning experiences. However if we are to become completely digitally enhanced surely some students who do not have the added advantages of outside the classroom help, people will get left behind.


b) To global access issues across countries and regions?
This is a matter of addressing the already increasing divide between the western world and 3rd world countries. More and more each day countries such as America are furthering their digital technologies leaving countries such as Africa and India still struggling to find the basics, such as continual source of water.
The digital divide is already huge and if it is to further, it may cause communication issues. If countries move on to a new source of communication its quite likely they may leave another behind, this may lose or hinder countries relationships.

Prensky ideas on distance learning at first sound like a great idea, but it will ultimate alienate some potential audience. Taking into account comparing some people ability to access information over others.