Digital Nation: Toward an Inclusive Information Society

by Anthony G. Wilhelm
The MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 2004
161 pp., illus. 2 b/w. Trade, $27.95
ISBN: 0-262-23238-3.

Reviewed by John F. Barber
The School of Arts and Humanities, The University of Texas at Dallas

jfbarber_at_eaze.net

Throughout human history, the fates of societies have often hinged on the possession and use of technologies that lead to advantages for some citizens and demise for others. In Digital Nation: Toward an Inclusive Information Society, Anthony G. Wilhelm argues that we face a similar crossroad with regard to information and communications technologies.

The advantages of going digital, moving bits versus atoms, have been touted for more than a decade. Many businesses have migrated into cyberspace, as have government services at all levels, heath care and utility providers, and information, entertainment, and personal services. Each has argued that doing so allows for more efficient, faster, and cheaper opportunities for the consumer, as well as inclusive, equitable, and democratic services and resources. Wilhelm shows these claims to be often false, details the underlying problems, and suggests a plan to harness the potential of information and communication technologies to achieve a more productive and inclusive society, a "digital nation."

Wilhelm, Director of the Technology Opportunities Program in the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, argues that technology itself is not the problem, but rather the use of technology and who gets to use it can empower or control, unite or divide. His vision of an inclusive "digital nation" allows everyone to take advantage of new technologies, to help revolutionize the way our society educates its citizens, empowers their earning potential, delivers healthcare, and conducts its own governance. The result, he says, will be increased efficiency and productivity, billions of dollars in long-term savings, and enhanced quality of life full of choice and opportunity.

More pragmatically, Wilhelm is quick to admit that the gap between the promise and the practice is wide, with large groups of our society excluded from the benefits of a "digital nation" because they lack access to enabling technologies and the necessary literacy skills, or because their way is blocked in the name of consolidation and control.

This "digital divide" promises to widen, Wilhelm warns, and continues to discriminate against those unable or unwilling to use information and communications technologies. Even those who do have access to digital technologies will suffer as the current rush to centralize and control cyberspace turns it into a networked electronic panopticon where government, military, and corporate concerns strive to maintain their grip on the flow of ideas, people, and money.

Against this current scenario, Wilhelm presents his vision for use of networked intelligence and decentralization to establish and maintain a "digital nation" that will both democratize and liberate its citizens. The first step, he argues, is charismatic leadership capable of articulating to a wide constituency the importance of a "digital nation." Next, he cites the need for corporate and political allies who will promote next-generation "digital nation" policies as well as muster the necessary long-term budget outlays. Clear and achievable national goals and benchmarks must be articulated, as well as incentives for reaching them and penalties for noncompliance.

Unless efforts to create and maintain a "digital nation" can rise above current governmental inaction and indifference, the "digital divide" will continue to marginalize large groups of citizens, presenting them with a future that lacks meaning. Even more to the point, Wilhelm argues that building on the self-interest of politicians and business leaders and the legal obligation of government to serve its citizens will avoid the issue of the "digital divide" becoming a civil rights struggle in coming years.

Finally, beyond investment in a hardware infrastructure, Wilhelm cites the need for extensive and continuing training in order to "e-enable" the citizens of a "digital nation." The extent to which people are trained to use information and communications technologies will determine the level of success associated with the movement of essential goods and services into cyberspace.

The upshot of these steps should be universal access to information and communications technologies needed for economic gain and civic engagement on the part of all peoples, and full funding for training and the development of content and new applications necessary to support democratic and open learning opportunities that can be customized anywhere, anytime, by anyone.

In the end, a "digital nation" must reflect a democratic society, having harnessed the best technologies in pursuit of the well being and edification for all its citizens. It must create avenues for deeper participation and accountability. And it must motivate and empower its citizens to invent their own futures. The vision laid out by Anthony Wilhelm in Digital Nation: Toward an Inclusive Information Society is both inspiring and compelling.