Natural, artificial, and emerging gaps: Taxonomy, variables, epistemology, and axiology for the “digital gaps”

Abstract

The term “gap” describes natural, social, and hybrid phenomena in epistemic and deontic contexts. It acquires connotations depending on the accompanying adjective and the context in which it is applied. It even prescribes social phenomena whose bias is revealed through critique.
Its unreflective use generates semantic, axiological, and epistemic biases, exhibiting a fragmented epistemic vision (with both positive and negative connotations, and “deontic” justifications).
We propose a precise and clear use of the term “gap” to better employ it in various contexts. The “digital gap” is examined as an emergent case that displays common characteristics of many typical “gaps.”
We outline 1) Concepts of the term “gap” for its identification and hierarchical classification according to types/cases. 2) The usefulness of the systemic model for understanding the term “gap.” 3) A hybrid concept of intelligence for emergent “gaps,” linked to critical thinking and metacognitive processes. 4) Dimensional factors that reduce and/or widen “gaps.” We include an Appendix to delve deeper into the neutral definition of the term, its etymology, history, and measurement scales.