Digital media have revolutionized the way Americans get their news.Discuss the requirements of digital citizenship and how these requirements produce the so-called digital divide.In addition,weigh the advantages and disadvantages of the internet as a tool for Americans to learn about politics.

There are four components to this question.
a.Digital citizenship: A digital citizen is a daily internet user with broadband (high-speed)home internet access and the technology and literacy skills to go online for employment,news,politics,entertainment,commerce,and other activities.
b.Digital divide: There are significant inequalities in access to digital media based on the ability to afford and effectively use internet access.The digital divide refers to the fact that there are important differences in internet access rates across education,income,and race and ethnicity.For example,while only half the working poor (people earning less than $20,000 a year)had home broadband,85 percent of people earning more than $100,000 a year did.
c.Advantages: There are five general advantages to the internet as a tool for learning about politics: (1)the convenience of getting news online, (2)the up-to-the-minute currency of the information that is available online, (3)the depth of the information that is available online, (4)the diversity of viewpoints,and (5)the low cost.
d.Disadvantages: The shift toward online media has also given rise to several major concerns.These potential disadvantages include: (1)a decline in investigative journalism, (2)uneven quality in news content,and (3)negative effects on knowledge and tolerance.