The Digital Divide and the Cognitive Divide: Reflections on the Challenge of Human

The digital revolution has changed the landscape of development. The dis-ruptive nature of the transformation has forced countries and societies to undertake major projects and investments. Coming to understand the underpinnings of this revolution has been, however, a slow and intricate process, particularly in developing nations. Even today, when there is no longer any doubt about ICT’s importance and impact, development poli-cies and initiatives are not always oriented toward addressing major long-term needs. As is well-known, most efforts to bridge the digital divide have been highly technocentric. Key attention has been given to issues of infrastruc-ture. Connectivity and content have led the list of critical concerns as the essential building blocks of the digital revolution. Important efforts have also revolved around training issues, generally conceived as “computer lit-eracy, ” or more recently, as “digital literacy. ” These terms—as well as the programs derived from such conceptions—tend to focus on the acquisi