Digital Development and Technological Innovations: Inequality and Asymmetry

Abstract

The rapid spread of digitalization affects the development of countries and humanity, the fate of a particular person. The modern digital divide, which is researched in the article, strengthens the social stratification of the world economy and makes it difficult to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals 2030. Inequality (social and technological) limits access to technologies, the possibilities of their use, and obtaining utility for the average person, it inhibits socio-economic development and deepens the digital divide for humanity. On the other hand, the latest digital technologies create fundamentally new opportunities for progressive development. The article provides a comprehensive assessment of the digital development asymmetry in the regions of the world using integral indicators since the level of inequality differs significantly when compared according to various single indicators of digital development. The main aims of the study are the systematization of digital development indicators, their analysis in terms of patterns of change, irregularity and differentiation, the calculation of integral indices of digital development of regions and their ranking, and the calculation of general assessments of irregularity and divide.