The Digital Divide
Wikipedia defines the digital divide as “an economic and social inequality according to categories of persons in a given population in their access to, use of, or knowledge of information and communication technologies (ICT)”. The idea is usually that people in lower socioeconomic circumstances have less access to the bounty of computing, and especially the Internet, than richer folks. This, of course, further limits their ability to succeed in life, deepening the inequalities that are so harmful to society.
This divide between “Haves” and “Have-nots” is widely recognized; and yet I note an additional, different digital divide in the knowledge workplace that has an opposite distribution: the richer you are, the larger your disadvantage.
How Information Overload creates a different Digital Divide
This post was triggered by a reported conversation with a CEO who told a friend of mine that he never blogs, nor comments on others’ blogs, Linked In discussions, and the like. He explained the reason: he had no time for it!
And it occurred to me right away that a major reason the guy had no time was information overload. A CEO typically gets 300 messages a day (all related to the business, not to Nigerian scams and other spam). No way can he have the time to explore the online world, derive insights, think about them and craft thoughtful Reponses. As for blogging – believe me, to do it with quality and professional integrity takes the kind of time investment an overloaded CXO can only dream about.
So why is this a digital divide? Because this CEO was excluded from participation in this most exciting of human interaction spaces, the social web and the Blogosphere. Meanwhile employees of lower grades, ones who receive only (say) 50 messages a day, have more time on their hands and can be more active online. Here’s your divide: some people in the company access the blogosphere and contribute to it, while others can’t do it.
And the interesting part is, since email load clearly varies with pay grade – I’ve observed this in many enterprises – it follows that those who Information Overload most excludes from online involvement are CXO and VP grade employees – and they are of course the richest individuals in a company. The financial Haves are now the digital Have-nots.
What this means to you and your life
Consider what we’re talking about when we say some people are excluded from participation in the blogosphere and the social web. You’d think this is unimportant: why should the CEO worry about not seeing pictures of kittens? But then, the online world has a vast store of knowledge and thought that has nothing to do with kittens (this blog of mine definitely doesn’t have any). Sure, the Internet is full of junk; but it also gives you the means to find the good stuff and be a part of a wonderful global conversation. Being cut off from this brave new world is a tragic penalty to pay; being unable to contribute to it makes you the corporate equivalent of the proverbial couch potato.
If you don’t blog or comment because you’re an introvert, that is your right (and your burden, perhaps); but to give it up because you receive too much email?!?…
What YOU can do about it
There are so many reasons to stamp out information overload, as I’ve described in this paper; the fact that it may exclude you from the fascinating, enlightening, challenging world of the interactive web is a very good addition to the list. You should certainly skip over the digital divide that allows every new college grad in your workforce to go where as a manager you can’t venture. Believe me, joining the exuberant online conversation is way more enriching – and fun – than cleaning your inbox for hours each day. I know… I’ve tried both.
Fortunately, if you – like that CEO my friend had met – had to give up online interaction because you lack the time, you can regain the time you need by reducing the impact of information overload on your work life. There are countless solutions you can try (my Definitive Guide to Information Overload Solutions lists 164 of them!); there are many books and online sites where you can learn how to go about it, including the Blog and the Resources section on this site. And if you then decide you need more guidance, check out what I can do to help and give me a call!
Provocative post, Nathan, and definitely something we–and C-suite execs–need to pay attention to. As I read it, I was reminded of a warning from Bob Johansen of the Institute for the Future about its current 10-year forecast, which he calls both the most exciting and most terrifying of his 40+ career. These days having a cell phone–actually a smart-phone–seems more of a necessity than having a home. It’s not too hard to envision a future of poor, homeless, hungry people who can still be social. CEOs who aren’t aware of this situation and who aren’t plugged in will find themselves even further out of the mainstream, which will make it extremely difficult for them to influence others and get anything of significance done.
Interesting addition, Liz! Indeed, I run into people living at the edge of poverty toting a smartphone (or a dumb cellphone and a tablet). The world is changing so fast!