Digital Inequalities in Media Education in South Asia

Book excerpt: This study explores the media education systems in South Asia, looking not just at the heavy disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic but also the long-standing digital inequalities and unequal socioeconomic opportunities that lead to reduced access to devices, technology, and digital media. With a focus on eight South Asian countries – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka – the chapters examine the adoption of technology for pedagogical purposes during the pandemic, and the underlying socioeconomic reasons behind difficulties in implementing such rapid digital transformation in the region. The authors then consider how we can draw from the performance of South Asian media education institutions, already suffering from various digital divides, during the Covid-19 pandemic, to apply these lessons to the broader academic community. With contributions from an international team of authors, this book will interest students, scholars, and policymakers around the world working in the areas of media literacy, education studies, digital media, global development, and sociology.