Author(s)

A. Simsek

Abstract

Human development has traditionally been associated with factors in the economy, health, and education. In recent years, however, access to digital technologies has been considered a significant indicator of sustainable human development. It appears that an inclusive and active information society cannot be accomplished without providing digital access to a considerable majority of the society. It is also true that development goals of countries can be achieved better when government, private, and civil society combine their efforts through innovative strategies to establish productive communication regarding the effective uses of digital technologies. Improper strategies, on the other hand, carry the risk of widening the digital divide between the advantaged and disadvantaged groups so that the information gap results in increased inequalities between the rich and poor, as well as the high-educated and low-educated. Therefore, the overarching policy of contemporary societies should be making new technologies work for human development and social progress. Keywords: digital access, information society, ICT, digital divide, human development. 1 Introduction Throughout history, technology has played a vital role in human life. All technological advancements have improved the standard of living for the human race. The creation of new technologies has been an exciting part of both individual and social development. The widespread applications of various technologies for daily purposes also show that people have been generally receptive to the use of emerging technologies. Although living standards of societies are often associated with the common use of current technologies, dissemination of these technologies to different groups and sectors in a society has been a challenging task for many countries.

Keywords

digital access, information society, ICT, digital divide, human development.