Peer-Reviewed Open Access Journal

International Journal of Communication Development

The International Journal of Communication Development (IJCD) is a new journal devoted to the analysis of communication, mass media and development in a global context in both Indian and...

ISSN: 2231-2498 Quarterly English Since 2011
Current Issue

Vol. 4 No. 2 (2014)

Articles Vol. 4 Issue 2 & 3 Jul - Dec 2014
DOI 10.65301/ijcd.2014.4.2.3.10

Exegesis of Digital Divide in Communication

Authors
Assistant Professor Cluster Innovation Centre, University of Delhi
100 Views
45 Downloads
Published 2014-12-30
Pages 50-57
Abstract

Digital communication is undoubtedly regarded as a revolutionized communication which has transformed the not just the ontology but the epistemology of communication and its process as a whole. It should also be noted that the digital communication has created gaps in the communication process which has a discernible impact on the society. Having said that the impact of technology on communication can neither be undermined nor overlooked; rather its potential can be attempted to be used in the best of its possibilities. To do that it is imperative to understand the hindrances in its way. This brings us to the discourse of digital divide. The word communication is derived from the Latin words, “communis” and “communicare”. “Communis” means sharing, can be of views, ideas, thoughts and happenings; while “communicare” means make something common. With these inferences, digital communication can be defined as ‘sharing of common views or ideas in a digital form’. The above understanding of digital communication becomes the genesis of the discourse as digital communication gets restricted only to its users. Against this backdrop, the study attempts to analyze the undermining of the semantic understandings of the epistemology of communication and how it has deviated from its basic meaning to accept the new paradigms, which fortunately or unfortunately nurtures a power inequality and creates a divide between information “haves” and “have-nots” on local, national and international levels.

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