The Digital Divide

Ask yourself the next question: how often do you take access to the Internet for granted? Never thought about this question? Well that is because we do take it for granted. Recently, I read an interesting article about the so called digital divide. The term digital divide refers to the gap between those who have access to Internet and digital information and those who have limited or no access. This can occur on the level of society between individuals, as well on a global level between developed and less developed countries when it comes to technology.

The most important determinants of the digital divide are income, skills and infrastructure. Income refers to the possibility to afford a computer and/or other digital device on which you can have access to the Internet. In order to use the computer and the Internet, a person needs certain skills. This determinant often ligatures with age, since younger people are born in the so called ‘digital age’ and grew up while developing computer skills, older people did not and miss some important skills.

Besides age, skills ligature with the level of education a person has. Youth between the age of 12 and 24 are the most frequent computer users with 95% using a computer. When it comes to level of education we see at only 5 out of 10 low educated persons use a computer monthly. If we compare this to highly educated persons, this is 9 out of 10. Infrastructure refers to geographical aspects such as Internet availability in certain regions and the offer of Internet access providers.



In my opinion, the digital divide is something that for the greater part will be solved over time. Computers and Internet subscriptions will become cheaper and more affordable so more people will be able to buy a computer. Besides that, the generation who is not born in the digital age and have a lack of skills, will extinguish. The infrastructure of the Internet will develop more and more and as a result, more people will be able to subscribe for the Internet. Nevertheless, until that time, something needs to be done to prevent that some people in our society will be shut off from information.

So, do you freak out when your Internet connection fails to work? Leave a comment and tell me!

Glee: the revelation of a success story

Last week, I joined Studium Generale's pop choir. At first, the words 'Corine' and 'singing' together in one sentence seemed like an impossible combination. I never had an ambition to become a singer (except for becoming a Spice Girl) and I always thought I would hurt people's ears if I would start singing. So what is it then, that made me change my mind? The answer to this question is that I got inspired by a TV show called Glee! Ever since this show premiered in September 2009 in the U.S. by Fox, it has been a huge success and it became an instant hit all over the world. The show first aired in the Netherlands in September 2010. Glee won 3 Emmy Awards and 4 Golden Globes so far. For the people who don't know what this show is about, I will give a short summary. The name 'Glee' refers to Glee Club, a choir. The show takes place at a high school where teacher William tries to make Glee Club popular again. This is not always easy because Glee Club has the reputation that it is a club for nerds. The show is a combination of drama/musical where the story line focuses on the characters who are in Glee Club. Several famous actors and singers already guest starred in the show as for example Josh Groban, Gwyneth Palthrow and Britney Spears.

So what makes Glee this popular? The first strength of the show are the funny one liners and the unique humor. Especially from character Sue Sylvester, the cheerleaders coach and school bully. To illustrate this, I have a little video with Sue Sylvester's best moments, so you can get an impression of the humor in the show.



The second, the way the show deals with all kinds of issues that teenagers deal with as for example relationships, homosexuality and family troubles. Of course, there are more shows who deal with these kinds of subjects. But the strength of Glee is that they deal with them in a funny and educational way. At the end of every episode, not only you enjoyed some good music, but you also learned a valuable lesson about some aspects in life.

And lastly, the music! Glee has its own typical sound and this sometimes results in their version of the song being even more popular than the original. Here is an example of the popular song Empire State of Mind from Jay-Z ft. Alicia Keys performed by Glee!



So, Glee Club or any other choir is not just for excellent singers, but for everybody who enjoys music and singing. Singing with a group makes singing less scary, it's a great outlet and most of all: it's fun!

Top 3 Super Bowl commercials 2011

Each year, the finale of the National Football League in the U.S. is the most important television moment of the year. Last Sunday it were the Green Bay Packers who won the 2011 finale over the Pittsburgh Steelers. This finale, better known as the Super Bowl, usually attracts around 100 million viewers. That means that approximately 80% off all Americans watch this event. Resulting in this event not only being the most important event in sports, but also the most important moment of the year for advertisers. Airing a TV commercial during the breaks costs around 3 million dollar for a 30-second spot. Advertisers try their bests to come up with the most funny and interesting commercial. And with success! Because according to media research company Nielsen, 51% of all Super Bowl viewers prefer watching commercials over watching the game. I made a top 3 of most creative and funny commercials which were aired this year during the Super Bowl.

1. The undisputed number one is the commercial 'The Force' by Volkswagen. According to Nielsen, this commercial is also the one that people liked the most.



2. The second best is the Doritos house-sitting commercial. This commercial is 7th on the Nielsen's most recalled commercial list. With recall research, people are asked to make a list of the commercials they remember the best.



3. And finally, 'Grizzly Bears go to McDonald's' commercial. A personal favorite.




Now tell me: what is your favorite? (leave a comment below)

Welcome to my blog!

Shakespeare once said: "To be, or not to be, that's the question". In this digital world where time, values and trends are changing as often as Lady Gaga changes styles, we sometimes have to redefine our existing principles. When I read this famous Shakespeare quote, I thought to myself: To blog, or not to blog, that's the question. Well, the answer to that question is actually quit simple: to blog! For the course Business Information Technology, every student has to set up his of her own blog and provide the readers with material he or she thinks will be interesting to read about. So in the next couple of weeks I will update my blog at least once a week and by doing so, I will give you as my reader a little inside in my life and about what is on my mind.

Enjoy!