La brecha digital como factor de vulnerabilidad y exclusión social en la parroquia San Mateo del cantón Manta.

Abstract

The objective of this work is to determine the impact of the digital divide as a factor of vulnerability and social exclusion in the artisanal fishing sector of the San Mateo parish of the Manta canton. A mixed methodological approach was applied, integrating qualitative and quantitative tools to address the research problem from a comprehensive perspective. Within the framework of the qualitative analysis, structured interviews were conducted with key actors in the sector, which allowed obtaining detailed and contextualized information on ICT infrastructures at the educational level. The data for the quantitative analysis were taken from the research project: Socioeconomic, productive and environmental study of the artisanal fishing subsector of the San Mateo parish, Manta canton; Manabí province; ENCARSOECA-2022. The study included calculations of the ICT Development Index (IDT), which facilitated the measurement of various key indicators for the calculation and measurement of the digital divide. A logistic regression model was applied to identify and evaluate the relationship between the dependent and independent variables, allowing to estimate the probability of occurrence of a digital divide based on the vulnerability of the sector. The results show that the factors associated with the digital divide explain the inequality in access and use of ICTs; age shows a significant negative effect, showing that the older the age, the lower the probability of experiencing digital divides; the employment situation and income reflect negative impacts, indicating that employment and greater economic resources favor access to technological devices and services; the size of the household represents a challenge, since in households with more members the risk of gaps increases, possibly due to competition for limited resources such as equipment and connectivity; and it is concluded that 18.12% of the variability in the digital divide is explained by the variables analyzed, which is acceptable and these findings underline the need to design inclusive policies that combine investment in technological infrastructure, development of digital skills and differentiated approaches to address the specific needs of vulnerable sectors and rural populations.