Abstract:

A revolution in information technology is redefining poverty, as how much you know is becoming just as important as how much you own. This multi-award winning documentary examines one possible solution to the growing technological gap between rich and poor - the so-called "digital divide" - that threatens to consign millions to an "information underclass." When Indian researcher Sugata Mitra embedded a high-speed computer in a wall separating his firm's New Delhi headquarters from an adjacent slum, he discovered that slum children quickly taught themselves how to surf the net, read the news, and download games and music. Mitra then replicated the experiment in other locations. Each time the results were similar: within hours, and without instruction, the children began browsing the Internet. Here we see how children, given only access and opportunity, teach themselves the rudiments of computer literacy with no instruction; also we discover that the spread of information technology is changing societies around the world, and the implications of Mitra's experiment are profound, especially for poor people. Produced by Globalvision, Inc. 2004 JSCA 52 min