The overall premise of the movie, in which we observed the lives of four different students with different levels of access to technology, was interesting and insightful. Luisa, Cedra, Travis, and Kep all come from very different backgrounds but have been somewhat brought together through the technology revolution. The movie is relatively outdated, but still makes some relevant points.
It's amazing that technology made such a difference in changing the lives of the students, especially Luisa and Travis. Luisa was in a gang until she got involved in a computer class and realized that she could do something more with her life. She saved enough money from working at a fast food restaurant (along with going to school!) to buy a computer, and it changed her perspective on everything. Travis lives with his mom, sister, and sister's three children and was exposed to technology first when he started to attend New Technology High School. His day-to-day school activities all involved technology, and he ended up having to teach friends from his old school how to use the Internet and computers. Having technology in his life has given him hope that he will go to college and have a successful career someday. Unfortunately, there are many people in similar socioeconomic situations to those of Travis and Luisa, and most of these people have a difficult time getting access to the technology that they would need to be successful in society today.
The most interesting comparison is between the lifestyles of people like Luisa and Travis, who were never exposed to technology before visiting a community center or school, and that of Cedra, who has grown up in Silicon Valley and has been using technology for all of her life. These differences represent firsthand the idea of the Digital Divide (hence, the movie title). Overall, the stories can be inspirational in the idea that technology can really change a person's life. On the other hand, they really highlight the lack of opportunities available to people with little to no access to or knowledge of technology.
Video Reflection
14 years ago
I agree that it is neat to hear a story about how technology drastically changed these people's lives. It is incredible that technology actually gave Luisa the motivation and ability to get out of a gang. While these examples are wonderful to hear about, I wonder how often these cases actually happen. I can't imagine it often happens that technology inspires people in difficult situations to transform their lifestyles. However, I believe our society could create a lot more of these opportunities. I feel that teachers and other adult role models must continue to emphasize the importance of gaining technological skills. While the stories from the movie may be a little rare today, I am hopeful that our society can elevate educational levels and lessen the technological gap.
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