Back when I was writing academic articles about the politics of technology, the digital divide was a big topic. The argument was that only privileged groups had access to the Internet. This access gave privileged groups certain advantages that helped maintain their privilege. Honestly, I have not read a good digital divide article in a while, so I thought the problem was growing smaller. Think again.

According to the New York Times, 20 percent of Americans or 60 million people do not use  the Internet at home, at work, or on a cellphone, despite a $7 billion effort by the Obama administration to increase access. The biggest losers are the elderly, minorities, and Southerners. This lack of digital experience limits employment opportunities.

What should be done?