Young and the Techless

Technology plays a significant role in society today and is becoming central to everything we do. However, while tremendous strides in technology have been made and a wealth of professional opportunities involving technology exist, low- income youth are being excluded—particularly those of African American and Latino descent.  The digital divide among low-income youth defines their struggle to gain meaningful access to technology at home and in school; it is more than low-income youth possessing a smart phone. Low-income youth often suffer from the ability to adapt to evolving technology because of limited access to technology, which jeopardizes their professional potential in a society heavily reliant on technology.

The filmexplores the digital divide and how it affects low-income youth in terms of access to technology. It looks beyond the mere hardware of technology and expands the conversation into how technology can be infused into education, identifies the creators versus the consumers of technology, and investigates how early exposure to technology can be beneficial for low-income youth in their future endeavors. Angela King is a Bay Area youth with hopes of being a music producer— “the next Missy Elliott” in fact—and through her time at BAYCAT, a Bay Area organization that attempts to bridge the digital divide by providing low-income youth with access to the latest technology and a creative space, she hopes to achieve her dreams despite the odds.