The Geographical Digital Divide: Urban-Rural, Regional and Gender Inequalities of Digital Transformation in Turkey

Serhat Ay; Taner Kılıç

Makale detayları

The Geographical Digital Divide: Urban-Rural, Regional and Gender Inequalities of Digital Transformation in Turkey

Yazarlar:

Serhat Ay | Taner Kılıç

Yayıncı:

Istanbul University

Ana Başlıklar:

Beşeri Coğrafya (Diğer)

Dergi:

Coğrafya Dergisi Issue 46, pp.111-122

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

5/2023

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001296742

pISSN:

1305-2128

Anahtar kelimeler:

Özet:

 Although the existence of a global digital divide between developed and developing countries is well-known, there are crucial inequalities in internet and computer access in different regions, cities, and even in different neighborhoods of the same city. This article aims to map the geographical digital divide in Turkey by using data about internet access, internet speed, computer ownership, and internet cafe access from the World Bank, OECD, Eurostat, TurkStat, Speedtest, BTK, and Google Earth. According to our findings, the digital divide in Turkey has four geographical dimensions. First, in the global digital divide, Western European and North American countries have developed digital infrastructure, while developing countries such as Turkey fall short in fiber connection and fixed broadband internet. Second, there are sharp digital disparities between cities to the east and west. Especially in coastal areas and industrialized cities, internet speed and computer access are high, while in rural areas it is quite low. Third, the difference in digital development between cities also exists between regions. Fourth, in the Eastern regions, where the education level is low, womens access to computers is considerably less than that of men. As a result, in Turkey, which is behind developed countries in digitalization, there are increasing digital inequalities between urban-rural regions due to insufficient infrastructure and low income. The fact that women have lower access to digital technology compared to men shows that the digital divide problem in Turkey has a cultural dimension in addition to low income.

 Although the existence of a global digital divide between developed and developing countries is well-known, there are crucial inequalities in internet and computer access in different regions, cities, and even in different neighborhoods of the same city. This article aims to map the geographical digital divide in Turkey by using data about internet access, internet speed, computer ownership, and internet cafe access from the World Bank, OECD, Eurostat, TurkStat, Speedtest, BTK, and Google Earth. According to our findings, the digital divide in Turkey has four geographical dimensions. First, in the global digital divide, Western European and North American countries have developed digital infrastructure, while developing countries such as Turkey fall short in fiber connection and fixed broadband internet. Second, there are sharp digital disparities between cities to the east and west. Especially in coastal areas and industrialized cities, internet speed and computer access are high, while in rural areas it is quite low. Third, the difference in digital development between cities also exists between regions. Fourth, in the Eastern regions, where the education level is low, womens access to computers is considerably less than that of men. As a result, in Turkey, which is behind developed countries in digitalization, there are increasing digital inequalities between urban-rural regions due to insufficient infrastructure and low income. The fact that women have lower access to digital technology compared to men shows that the digital divide problem in Turkey has a cultural dimension in addition to low income.

 Although the existence of a global digital divide between developed and developing countries is well-known, there are crucial inequalities in internet and computer access in different regions, cities, and even in different neighborhoods of the same city. This article aims to map the geographical digital divide in Turkey by using data about internet access, internet speed, computer ownership, and internet cafe access from the World Bank, OECD, Eurostat, TurkStat, Speedtest, BTK, and Google Earth. According to our findings, the digital divide in Turkey has four geographical dimensions. First, in the global digital divide, Western European and North American countries have developed digital infrastructure, while developing countries such as Turkey fall short in fiber connection and fixed broadband internet. Second, there are sharp digital disparities between cities to the east and west. Especially in coastal areas and industrialized cities, internet speed and computer access are high, while in rural areas it is quite low. Third, the difference in digital development between cities also exists between regions. Fourth, in the Eastern regions, where the education level is low, womens access to computers is considerably less than that of men. As a result, in Turkey, which is behind developed countries in digitalization, there are increasing digital inequalities between urban-rural regions due to insufficient infrastructure and low income. The fact that women have lower access to digital technology compared to men shows that the digital divide problem in Turkey has a cultural dimension in addition to low income.

 Gelişmiş ve gelişmekte olan ülkeler arasında dijitalleşmenin neden olduğu eşitsizliklerin varlığı bilinmekle birlikte, ülkelerin farklı bölgelerinde, şehirlerinde hatta bir şehrin farklı mahallelerinde İnternet ve bilgisayar erişimi konusunda ciddi eşitsizlikler bulunmaktadır. Bu makalede, Türkiyedeki dijital uçurumun coğrafi boyutlarının ortaya çıkarılması amaçlanmıştır. Dünya Bankası, OECD, Eurostat, TÜİK, Speedtest, BTK ve Google Earthün veri kaynaklarından; İnternet erişimi, İnternet hızı ve bilgisayar erişimi konularıyla ilgili elde edilen veriler harita ve diyagramlarla görselleştirilmiştir. Bulgularımıza göre Türkiyedeki dijital uçurumun dört coğrafi boyutu bulunmaktadır. Birincisi, küresel dijital uçurumda Batı Avrupa ve Kuzey Amerika ülkeleri gelişmiş dijital altyapıya sahipken Türkiye gibi gelişmekte olan ülkeler bilgisayara erişim, fiber bağlantı ve sabit geniş bantlı İnternette konularında yetersiz kalmaktadır. İkincisi, şehirlerarasında batı ve doğu yönlü keskin dijital eşitsizlikler bulunmaktadır. Özellikle kıyı kesiminde ve sanayileşmiş kentlerde İnternet hızı ve bilgisayar erişimi yüksekken kırsalda oldukça düşüktür. Üçüncüsü, şehirlerarasındaki dijital gelişmişlik farkı bölgeler arasında da bulunmaktadır. Dördüncüsü, eğitim seviyesinin düşük olan Doğu bölgelerinde kadınların bilgisayara erişimi erkeklere göre oldukça yetersiz kalmaktadır. Sonuçta, dijitalleşmede gelişmiş ülkelerin gerisinde olan Türkiyede kent-kır ve bölgeler arasında altyapı ve düşük gelir nedeniyle artan dijital eşitsizlikler bulunmaktadır. Özellikle doğu bölgelerde kadınların erkeklere göre dijital teknolojiye erişememesi, Türkiyedeki dijital uçurum sorununun düşük ekonomik gelirin yanı sıra kültürel bir boyuta sahip olduğunu da göstermektedir.

Makale detayları

The Geographical Digital Divide: Urban-Rural, Regional and Gender Inequalities of Digital Transformation in Turkey

Yazarlar:

Serhat Ay | Taner Kılıç

Yayıncı:

Istanbul University

Ana Başlıklar:

Beşeri Coğrafya (Diğer)

Dergi:

Coğrafya Dergisi Issue 46, pp.111-122

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

5/2023

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001296742

pISSN:

1305-2128

Geographical Digital Divide

Rural-Urban Digital Divide

Fiber Internet

Gender Digital Divide

Digital TransformationCoğrafi Dijital Uçurum

Kentsel-Kırsal Dijital Uçurum

Fiber İnternet

Dijital Cinsiyet Uçurumu

Dijital Dönüşüm

Sayı

Makale detayları

Yazarlar: Serhat Ay | Taner Kılıç

Yayıncı: Istanbul University

Ana Başlıklar: Beşeri Coğrafya (Diğer)

Dergi: Coğrafya Dergisi Issue 46, pp.111-122

Belge Tipi: Makale

Yayın Tarihi: 5/2023

Belge Dili: Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.): 2001296742

pISSN: 1305-2128

Sayı

Yazarlar:

Serhat Ay | Taner Kılıç

Yayıncı:

Istanbul University

Ana Başlıklar:

Beşeri Coğrafya (Diğer)

Dergi:

Coğrafya Dergisi Issue 46, pp.111-122

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

5/2023

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001296742

pISSN:

1305-2128