Bridging the Digital Divide (The Power of Local Influence)
Las Vegas attracts people from across the globe with it’s nightlife, foodie spots, and gatherings (conferences, concerts, conventions, etc.). But these experiences aren’t just for the passed out passing visitor. It’s the local activity keeping the tech, creative, and entrepreneurial lights on when everyone else is blacked out.
During my time as the Young Entrepreneurs Director of “Hey Boo” (formerly known as Social Register) based in Las Vegas, NV, I got to meet the locals who make up the fabric of our city’s culture. In 2024, many of the people I've met have been working to bridge the digital divide in youth, especially in under-served communities. While it’s easy to assume the internet is easily accessible for everyone, there is a staggering difference between web “access” and web “accessibility". WebAIM has a growing list of over 1 million home pages, detailing which kinds of websites do well or poorly on applying accessibility principles.
This includes but is not limited to accessibility based on:
Low Contrast Text
Images and Alternate Text
Labeling
Headings
Languages
Taxonomy
Technologies
With our digital landscape advancing at breakneck speeds, keeping up, let alone staying ahead, is becoming increasingly difficult if not impossible. This makes it easier than ever to get out-paced and left behind. Knowing this, one entrepreneur by the name of Elias Benjelloun has made the focus of his business on the digital revolution of “powering digital equity & using tech for good” (techstartyourbusiness.com).
During an interview with Elias, he mentioned his work with Nevada Partners, a non-profit organization focused on uplifting the Las Vegas community by providing free programs in areas of entrepreneurship, STEM, career development, and more. Elias’ partnership involves running a monthly conference called “Promise Start Ups” aimed at building digital skills for the youth.
One of the key findings regarding digital literacy according to the U.S. Department of Education is that:
“Adults who are not digitally literate are, on average, less educated and more likely to be Black, Hispanic, or foreign born, compared to digitally literate adults. Compared to digitally literate adults, adults who are not digitally literate have a lower rate of labor force participation and tend to work in lower skilled jobs.” — Saida Mamedova & Emily Pawlowski
The ultimate vision of ending generational poverty is based on the development of digital skills in the youth, especially in under-served and marginalized groups. This digital divide exists in socioeconomic groups and between many contrasts found in our world:
Urban Areas vs Rural Areas
Educated and the Less Educated
More and Less Industrially Developing Countries
TechTarget expands on this divide by explaining how “Even among populations with some access to technology, the digital divide can be evident in the form of lower-performance computers, lower-speed wireless connections, lower-priced internet use connections such as dial-up and limited access to subscription-based content.”
Another connection of mine, Mateo Portelli, works as a member of Youth Advisory Task Force, Nevada Advisory Committee. The duties he performs include identifying challenges and opportunities to engage Nevada's youth in civic activities as well as ensuring that the voices of young Nevadans are heard. In this role, he hopes to inspire a new generation of informed, engaged citizens, thereby strengthening the fabric of our state and ensuring that it reflects the diverse voices and aspirations of all its residents.
It’s my belief that by bringing communities together — such as the entrepreneurial circle represented by Elias and the political circle represented by Mateo — we can find overlaps in our missions and provide collective power to move initiatives forward starting at the local level.
Information is power, and by getting involved in our local network of businesses, non-profits, and other communities, we engage in the powers that are already in play: the power of creativity, collaboration, and community.
At the end of the day, it is often a small few who end up moving a great many.
Sources
TechTarget. (n.d.). Digital divide. https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/digital-divide
Tech Start Your Business. (n.d.). https://www.techstartyourbusiness.com/
Social Register. (n.d.). Young entrepreneurs. https://www.socialregister.com/young-entrepreneurs
WebAIM. (n.d.). https://webaim.org/
Nevada Partners. (n.d.). https://nvpartners.org/
Promise Startups. (n.d.). Resources. https://www.connect.promisestartups.com/resources
National Center for Education Statistics. (2018). Digest of education statistics, 2017 (NCES 2018-161). U.S. Department of Education. https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2018/2018161.pdf
