The Digital Divide and Virtual Learning in RVA
The digital divide, as defined by the Stanford Computer Science department, is “the growing gap between the underprivileged members of society, especially the poor, rural, elderly, and handicapped portion of the population who do not have access to computers or the internet; and the wealthy, middle-class, and young Americans living in urban and suburban areas who have access.”
There is a common misconception that technology is a helpful and “door-opening” resource to underprivileged populations, but the opposite is actually true. Tools such as internet and phone access are simultaneously pushing the already-privileged further ahead while leaving others further behind. In Latin America, there is a “digital apartheid,” where only 38% of the population has internet access in Mexico and less than 20% of the population has access in Honduras and El Salvador, according to LatinAmericanScience.org. Even in the United States, one of the top internet-using countries, 21 million people (27% in rural areas, 2% in urban areas), lack internet access, according to the Pew Trust.
Internet access affects social equity by providing or limiting access to massive quantities of information and instant communication. The Digital Divide Council states that a lack of internet and technology is immensely felt in the following areas: education, job opportunities, communication, politics, consumer satisfaction, health information, community involvement, and emergency information. In short, technology only amplifies privilege for the already privileged.
The harmful effects of the digital divide are only being exacerbated by COVID-19, especially with regards to virtual learning. According to the Pew Research Center, 21% of parents say their children will not be able to complete schoolwork because of a lack of a computer at home, 29% of parents say that their children will have to use public Wi-Fi, and 29% of parents report that it is at least somewhat likely their children will have to do their school on a cellphone.
These hurdles to effective virtual learning are occurring at even higher rates among the Latinx, Hispanic, and Indigenous immigrant populations in Richmond. Most parents speak little to no English, making receiving information from schools extremely challenging. Indigenous families may also not speak English and only speak Spanish as their second language. Lastly, some parents have only elementary proficiency in reading, which stressfully limits their ability to academically support their children. With ongoing confusion regarding the school year plan, many parents also are uneasy over how and if their children will be supervised during the school day if they cannot afford to take off of work.
On August 29th and 30th, Highland Support Project conducted casual family interviews at a supermarket to collect information about families’ most pressing needs. Out of 25 families total, only 3 parents reported being comfortable with English, 14 reported confusion about the upcoming school year, and 6 reported concern over how and if virtual learning would be able to accommodate a child in their home with special needs. Considering nearly 3 in 5 students who speak little-to-no English in Richmond drop out of school (Richmond Times-Dispatch), a hiatus in learning due to the virtual format may be unrecoverable for some students. Education has been compared to a moving train: once you get off, the train continues without you and it’s not easy to get back on. If virtual learning is the gust that pushes vulnerable students off of the train, they may never get back aboard.
At HSP, we are continuing to listen to and connect with local families to hear their stories. Some of the concerns we heard last weekend were what we predicted: internet troubles, supervision at home, etc, but other families presented unique hurdles we did not foresee: rare special needs conditions, a lack of knowledge if the school year was even online or not. The digital divide, even just in Richmond, is an extensive obstacle to equity. As an organization, we cannot fix it. However, what we can do, is dive deep into the needs of specific families to create transformational change for good.
Over the next few weeks and months, we will be reconnecting with several families we met last weekend to help meet their specific needs. We believe in raising up leaders within a community to be their own force for good, not just imposing ourselves into their lives. Our eventual goal is establishing women’s circles modeled after the same women’s circles that are successful in Guatemala. Women’s circles provide participants with a network of mutual support and a forum for sharing dreams, fears and collaborating on solutions. These circles are also a launching point for educational initiatives related to English, reading and writing, political involvement, and practical home skills.
Our hope is that through women’s circles, women can connect with each other to productively support each other throughout virtual learning. Women’s circles will also serve as an effective networking tool to reach more families in need and share resources. At first, COVID-19 only felt like a challenge that was pulling our focus away from the international communities we work with, but we now see that it is also an opportunity to activate more within our local area. We are optimistic that this project can bring constructive change that will last beyond the pandemic.