First, let's understand what digital poverty means. Essentially it is the lack of access to information and communication technologies (ICT). The ones to suffer the most are the poor in countries with minimal internet penetration and where having the techological devices like computers and mobile phones are out of the question. There are currently organizations across the world working to bridge that digital gap as they see it as a way to fight poverty. It is the access that benefits the people and set ups of ICT stations are proving to be of great help. One such set up was in Sri Lanka where the poor were taught to search for job opportunities online or engage in distance learning to improve their way of life.
Yet, this access can be harmful if not monitored as it can be used in detrimental ways- for example, access to online gaming can prove to be a distraction or even lead to unhealthy habits.
While it's a balancing act, according to Norris (2000), before Internet can play a major role in civic engagements, people need to have online access to political avenues and it is an ongoing battle that governments and organizations are working together to solve. Hopefully, the great divide will be minimized in time to come.
Norris, P 2000, The Worldwide Digital Divide: International poverty, Internet and development, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, viewed 7 March 2009, http://ksghome.harvard.edu/~pnorris/Acrobat/psa2000dig.pdf
Online article: Bridging the digital divide to fight rural poverty
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