The public, as well as business, community and political leaders, need timely and accessible information in order to understand the importance of these rapid changes and their impact on kids. This update of our more comprehensive 1994 report, zeroes in on a seldom analyzed aspect of the revolution in information technology - how it impacts children. We hope this report will promote positive action on behalf of America's children. Information technology literacy is increasingly expected of workers as businesses rely more heavily on telecommunications and electronic technology. Experts agree that more than half of new jobs require some form of technology literacy.
Businesses pay a price for the lack of information literacy among workers.
If America is to meet the challenges of an increasingly competitive global economy, the nation needs a workforce ready to compete. Yet it is becoming increasingly evident that the revolution in technology is threatening to leave low-income children and their families behind. The nation's schools and libraries offer perhaps the best hope of ensuring that every child has access to new technologies and quality educational software. But they still have a long way to go. This improvement represents only a beginning, very limited for individual students.