The Coming Digital Divide

The Coming Digital Divide

Which side of the digital divide are you on?   Are you a Luddite or a mayor on foursquare?  While you may have been able to straddle the divide over the past decade you will not be able to in the next. Soon being on the wrong side will at best lead to a life of complete frustration and at worst leave you powerless to interact affectively with society.

Even worse, as an entrepreneur if you’re on the wrong side of the divide you stand no chance of success in the coming decades.

Here are some things to put in perspective about how far we’ve come in the last ten years.

  • No one used Google (founded in 1999)
  • No major social networks (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, MySpace)
  • No one used online video (YouTube founded in 2005!)
  • Broadband Internet was in .03% of US households (Today its 67%)
  • 15% of US households has mobile phones (Today its 90%)
  • MMS (picture messaging) didn’t exist; SMS hardly used
  • No Paypal
  • MP3 portable players hardly existed (today 75%)

When you read that list you may think, wow we’ve come a long way in a short time. However the next decade will have an even greater impact on the digital divide.

There is a massive division being established between those whom embrace, manipulate and thrive in the current technological landscape and those that don’t. Interestingly enough this division has nothing to do with socio-economic background or even age or gender.  It is strictly an aptitude and attitude.  The pace of technology and the network affects that are created only guarantee that this division will only get wider and wider.

As an entrepreneur the greatest thing you could do to prepare yourself for this next decade is to embrace, learn and engage in technology as much as possible.  Don’t get left on the wrong side.

To help you keep up-to-date on the right side of digital divide I’ve created this free newsletter.  Sign up today.

  • http://twitter.com/FirstMateYC First Mate YC

    I would add to that list smartphones. Smartphones integrate all of those information intense mediums into one device that fits into your pocket. I think the bigger challenge to come is not just to learn/embrace technology, but how to effectively sift through all the information at your fingertips in a useful way. Tyler Cowen's “Create Your Own Economy” brought this point home for me.

  • http://www.RichLazzara.com Rich Lazzara

    Yes smartphones are the future for sure. In fact, very shortly mobile will be the #1 way we connect with the Interent . Sifting through is all is going to become more and more of a challenge. Creating channels that bring the “best of the web” on certain topics is an opportunity for sure. I havent read that book but will order it. Thx for the tip and the comments.