A Brave New World Wide Web: Is technology closing the gap between the rich and poor, or is it making this gap larger?

Last Friday, the Franciscan Volunteers traveled to Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ to give a presentation about the Inn. Joining many other groups and students, the FVMs presented at a Ted* conference about how technology is impacting the guests served at our various ministries.
Since the mid-1990s, there has been a massive governmental push to head off the prospect of the ever-increasing gap between the rich and poor being exacerbated by the advent and expansion of the internet and related technologies. The government's hope is that by providing education and availability of technology to low-income children (mostly), a chasm will not develop that further separates the opportunities that exist for the poor and the more affluent.
Since we've offered free, unlimited internet and computer access at the St. Francis Urban Center, there has been little response. My theory is that many of our guests simply aren't aware of what the internet can do for them, especially in regards to applying for benefits, job searching and information gathering. In that light, the FVMs and I researched what has been done, what is currently being done, and how our guests understand existing technology and its ability to improve their situations.
The interviews were very insightful and ranged from people saying that they feared the internet to people who log on every single day at the local library to job-search and connect on social media sites. One young man mentioned that though he feels that internet is accessible to him, logistically it is ineffective because for applications that take 45 minutes to fill out online, the 30-minute time limit at the library hinders his ability to adequately and appropriately apply.
It seems as if regular access to the internet everywhere I go (though not on my phone just yet) is something that I take for granted. I also take for granted that every time I want a recipe for anything, or need to find a phone number, or hear something I want to learn more about, that I can just click a little button and I have the whole world at my fingertips. This concept is foreign to our guests and puts them at a severe disadvantage (of course that could be my privileged egocentric perspective speaking).
The project was enlightening for all of us, allowing us to confront our own privilege in relation to the lack of opportunities for our guests in ways that they may never realize.


*Ted is a Youtube-type site whose catchphrase is "Ideas worth sharing." Many topics and issues are addressed, ranging from technology to social justice to hunger and wellness. The website is www.ted.com, you should check it out!