Final answer:
Geographical location is a pivotal factor in technology access and acceptance due to regional disparities in resources, infrastructure, and opportunities. Differences in demographics and community characteristics, such as socioeconomic status, can result in a digital divide, where some regions, particularly urban areas, have better access to technology than rural ones. This disparity affects the spread and acceptance of technology in various communities.
Step-by-step explanation:
To outline geographical as a factor affecting access to and acceptance of technology, we need to consider how location and regional disparities influence the distribution and utilization of technological resources. Mossberger, Tolbert, and Gilbert (2006) showed that for African Americans, demographic and community-level characteristics like socioeconomic status and geographic location play a significant role in the digital divide. In contrast, the Latino population's technology use seems to be limited by ethnicity, beyond economics or geography.
The impact of geography on access to technology can also be linked to gender dynamics, as found by Liff and Shepard (2004), where the Internet, a technology shaped primarily by male users, is less accessible to women, resulting in lower confidence and less opportunity to develop the necessary skills for effective use.
A World Bank report in 2008 acknowledged that technological globalization has its benefits by aiding economic growth and providing tools like mobile banking to assist even those in rural, low-tech environments. However, technological progress also has the potential to widen social inequalities, with access often clustering in urban areas of peripheral and semi-peripheral nations, leaving rural areas disadvantaged in the technological landscape.