Another great post that struck home on a couple of fronts. Imagine if our conversations were limited to only those in our community. I'm doing a lot of work with First Nations communities right now and despite their being not so far from a major city the communities don't have stable internet access. Some can access via smart phone if they have the funds to get one with 4G. The digital divide exists in Canada and it's not just northern communities nor is it just First Nations.

Half of Canadians, roughly, are on Facebook. I hear that all the time. Half are not. Over half the professionals I meet with still snicker at Twitter even though it has become so ubiquitous that the evening news on all major stations references it nightly. Locally, we have a school board member who talks about the "internets" not being that important because not that may people use them. From her perspective that's the truth.

It's not the lack of using the technology that is creating a wider divide. It's the networking potential and the knowledge and new ways of seeing things, the new mental models being explored that are making the divide wider.

I read your posts and others and realize that for the most part they will make no sense to those who have not been a part of the "conversation" from the beginning. The zone of proximal development is widening and for many people the leap is becoming too wide. They don't know the language well enough to take part in or even follow the conversation. This concerns me.

I realize that the "problem" will eventually resolve itself. Eventually twenty somethings will be in positions of leadership and the tide will turn. Can we, as a society afford to wait for that? Is there something we can do now to help narrow the gap? Or do we just allow the natural consequences of failing to adapt to occur?