YouTube Presidential Debate Highlights Digital Divide

This week's Democratic presidential debate cast a bright light on the digital divide in the United States – not because of what the candidates said, but because of the debate's format. The forum was co-sponsored by YouTube, and some of the questions came from videos uploaded by regular citizens.

It’s a terrific example of the ways that high speed internet access can boost participation in civic life and bolster our democracy. But the democratizing effects of high speed internet can't reach all Americans, because millions are still stuck on the wrong side of the digital divide.

A terrific article in the Washington Post highlighted this disconnect, contrasting the high-tech nature of the presidential debate with the low-tech lives of America's low-income citizens.  As Pew Internet and Public Life director Lee Rainie put it,

"At one level, the YouTube debate shows that the Web has really become a centerpiece of American political culture. At another level, it also shows that the debate is not for everybody. It's certainly not available to all Americans."

While many of us take internet access for granted, it's often a real luxury for folks living in low-income neighborhoods. Due to lack of access or high costs, getting online can range from difficult to impossible:

That is especially true at Cooper River Courts, where Tiara Reid, 14, in her jeans shorts and pink striped top, runs up and down the complex asking friends if anyone wants to go the library. Finally her mom, Jossie, who works at a deli, drives her and a neighbor's daughter. With school out and without Internet access at home, the library is the only place where she can go on the Web -- for a maximum of two hours a day. Says Tiara: "It's 10 minutes to get to the library if someone drives you. It's 15 minutes if you take the 30 bus. It's about 30 minutes if you walk." On the library's second floor, she folds herself up on a chair and updates her MySpace profile, sends e-mails on her Yahoo! account and, if there's time, surfs Disney.com.

The Democratic presidential candidates who participated in tonight's YouTube debate and the Republican candidates who will participate in a similar debate in September must not forget the millions of Americans whose lack of high speed internet prevents them from participating as well. Sen. Hillary Clinton, former Sen. John Edwards, and Sen. Barack Obama have all shown their awareness of the problem; you can watch them speak about the need for universal high speed internet access here.

Now we need to make sure they continue to remain committed to breaking down the digital divide.

Binary America: Split in Two by a Digital Divide (Washington Post)

Hope for rural communities (Speed Matters)

John Edwards Brings Rural Internet Access to the National Stage (Speed Matters)

It doesn't get much more high profile than this (Speed Matters)

Speed Matters to Presidential Hopefuls (Speed Matters)