One thing that is not entirely clear to today’s current computer users is how diverse the internet truly is. Despite popular belief, the internet is only a luxury that generally white people have access to. This fact is supported by the article by Christian Sandvig. Native Americans lived on American soil far longer than any other group of people that currently reside here, yet they are not a point of interest to most people. Unlike the black and Hispanic demographics, the Native Americans remain under the radar to the general public in their lack of technology and benefits. They do not have the means of connectivity that we take for granted, and even if there are computers available for use, the connection is weak and there is no one to teach them how to use it.
Even when the option arises, would the Native Americans actually benefit from the availability of internet? From the responses of several of those living on the reservation, it would seem as though the internet is something that is unneeded and perhaps unwanted in such a society. For one man, it was simply a means of watching baseball videos and to another girl it was to access sites such as MySpace. So now there is the question of whether we should be trying to implement the use of computers and internet into societies that do not rely upon it.
The article by Ernest J. Wilson III and Sasha Constanza-Chock may provide some answers to the questions above. In their article, they describe the internet as a means of communication and transfer of information. In essence, this is indeed the primary function of the internet in modern society, but not the subject of the article. This article focuses on the divide in media networks in terms of race. Due to the higher social status of white folk to that of colored folk over the past few years, the older white generation holds ownership of most media firms and television networks. As a result, they control the flow of information to the other minorities and are able to use journalists as intermediaries.
Due to their superior position, the current leaders of media firms are able to stay in power and keep jobs away from minorities. This is becoming less and less prevalent as time goes on with minorities now reaching higher levels of employment, but the gap is not completely filled. Media firms, television companies, and radio stations have improved in terms of higher diversity, but still white people held ownership of the majority of businesses.
Slowly, but steadily, more and more nonwhite minorities are beginning to gain a new voice on the internet and catching up with the white population when it comes to the number of internet users and media employment. The internet is not a place devoid of gender, race, sexuality or any other things as it is commonly perceived. It is simply a place where all of these different things meet and coexist.
Even when the option arises, would the Native Americans actually benefit from the availability of internet? From the responses of several of those living on the reservation, it would seem as though the internet is something that is unneeded and perhaps unwanted in such a society. For one man, it was simply a means of watching baseball videos and to another girl it was to access sites such as MySpace. So now there is the question of whether we should be trying to implement the use of computers and internet into societies that do not rely upon it.
The article by Ernest J. Wilson III and Sasha Constanza-Chock may provide some answers to the questions above. In their article, they describe the internet as a means of communication and transfer of information. In essence, this is indeed the primary function of the internet in modern society, but not the subject of the article. This article focuses on the divide in media networks in terms of race. Due to the higher social status of white folk to that of colored folk over the past few years, the older white generation holds ownership of most media firms and television networks. As a result, they control the flow of information to the other minorities and are able to use journalists as intermediaries.
Due to their superior position, the current leaders of media firms are able to stay in power and keep jobs away from minorities. This is becoming less and less prevalent as time goes on with minorities now reaching higher levels of employment, but the gap is not completely filled. Media firms, television companies, and radio stations have improved in terms of higher diversity, but still white people held ownership of the majority of businesses.
Slowly, but steadily, more and more nonwhite minorities are beginning to gain a new voice on the internet and catching up with the white population when it comes to the number of internet users and media employment. The internet is not a place devoid of gender, race, sexuality or any other things as it is commonly perceived. It is simply a place where all of these different things meet and coexist.