As these kiosks are increasingly being seen as the most suitable medium for bridging the urban-rural digital divide, it is relevant to examine whether they are actually achieving this goal. There is sufficient evidence to show that these kiosks have indeed been successful in bringing some of the benefits of ICTs to the hitherto unserved rural population.
However, recent worldwide research on their diffusion has shown that they may be reaching only the socially, economically and educationally better off sections within their communities. They may not be effectively reaching the socially and economically disadvantaged sections and women. The implications of this for the SC/ST households are obvious. Thus, unintentionally, they may be creating a new digital divide within these communities and also leaving women behind in the information age.
Differential impact
There are four major reasons for this differential socioeconomic impact of the kiosks. The first relates to the attributes of the kiosks. Compatibility of the kiosks with the existing social and cultural norms is an important determinant of their diffusion. Research carried out by this author in Tamil Nadu reveals that though the technology itself is considered gender-neutral, women in the households often lack independence, the decision making power, and financial resources to make use of the kiosk services fully.
Another attribute of the kiosks that affects their diffusion is the perception that the technology is complex and therefore only the educated people can understand and use it. The very image of a computer which they can use only with the help of an external operator is too complex for them.
The second reason relates to the way the kiosk services have been communicated within the communities. In most cases, the kiosk operators personally contact the households within the village to tell them about the kiosk. The mass media has also been used to create awareness, but only sporadically. However, the interpersonal communication by the operators has been limited mainly to those households that belong to the relatively higher socioeconomic strata within the village. The main reason for this is the perception among the operators that only these users can afford to pay for the services.
The third reason is the financial affordability of the kiosk services. A majority of the households within the village cannot afford them, though the fees charged is not very high.
The fourth reason is the location of these kiosks in areas where the upper strata households live. Though this has been done to make the kiosks financially viable by attracting the relatively higher income households, the SC/ST households find it difficult to come and use them as these are located far away from their habitations.
Costs and benefits
How can the kiosks be made more equitable in their reach and usage? Research on diffusion of technology suggests that a new technology is more readily adopted if it leads to relative advantage over the existing methods in terms of costs and benefits. If the kiosks can deliver services faster and cheaper, they are more likely to be used by new households. One obvious implication of this is to make more and more e-government services available through the kiosks, which would save time and costs, in terms of a reduced number of visits to the government offices and less corruption, to the users. The same logic applies to other services such as for agriculture, health care, education, communication, etc.
Another important approach would be to reach the SC/ST households and women through effective interpersonal communication. Research suggests that while the mass media is good for creating awareness about a new technology, the decision to adopt is often taken after an effective interpersonal communication. The kiosk operators need to make vigorous efforts to canvass among the SC/ST households and women. Appointing more women kiosk operators would definitely help in attracting more women users.
A related aspect is to design and deliver appropriate and localised content through the kiosks. At present, the content provided is mostly standardised content available from the web. Serious efforts need to be made to make the content relevant and localised to attract a larger number of users. It is especially true for women, for whom the relevant content available at present is severely limited.
Kiosk services also need to be made more affordable to attract the poor households. This author found that some kiosks had succeeded in doing this by charging lower fees from the poor users. This could be tried more widely as lower fees is likely to be offset by a higher number of users.
Locating the kiosks closer to the SC/ST habitations would also help in creating awareness among them and attracting them to the kiosks.
It is imperative that any benefits of ICTs are shared equitably by all sections of society. As kiosks become more and more ubiquitous in our countryside, it is important that we pay serious attention to ensure that no one is left out from their benefits.
Autor: Rajendra Kumar
Quelle: The Hindu, 12.04.2005
