Paper details

Paper authors	Robin E. Mays
In panel on	The humanitarian ‘digital divide’
Paper presenter(s) will be presenting	In-Person / Online

Abstract

While closing the digital divide can often be presented optimistically as the sure path for positive transformation in humanitarian practice, humanitarians have failed to present an accountable, systematic, and scalable approach for assessing this claim. Impact of technology-driven projects are predominantly reported in terms of technology use, rather than in terms of social behaviors or social well-being. This paper presentation reflects on an actual case study of two preparedness apps where we sought to perceive impact of technology use on actual preparedness behavior and attitudes of self-selected user participants. It considers drivers and obstacles encountered when trying to address the social impact mission during design and development, and proposes some possible pathways forward.

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