Digital divide

The digital divide is the unequal access to digital technology, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, and the internet.[1][2] The digital divide worsens inequality around access to information and resources. In the Information Age, people without access to the Internet and other technology are at a disadvantage, for they are unable or less able to connect with others, find and apply for jobs, shop, and learn.[1][3]

People who are homeless, living in poverty, elderly people, and those living in rural communities may have limited access to the Internet; in contrast, urban middle class and upper-class people have easy access to the Internet. Another divide is between producers and consumers of Internet content,[4][5] which could be a result of educational disparities.[6] While social media use varies across age groups, a US 2010 study reported no racial divide.[7]

  1. ^ a b Ragnedda, Massimo; Muschert, Glenn W, eds. (2013). The Digital Divide. Routledge. doi:10.4324/9780203069769. ISBN 978-0-203-06976-9.
  2. ^ Zhou, Wei-Xing; Leidig, Mathias; Teeuw, Richard M. (2015). "Quantifying and Mapping Global Data Poverty". PLOS ONE. 10 (11): e0142076. Bibcode:2015PLoSO..1042076L. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0142076. PMC 4641581. PMID 26560884.
  3. ^ Park, Sora (2017). Digital capital. London: Palgrave MacMillan. ISBN 978-1-137-59332-0. OCLC 1012343673.
  4. ^ Graham, M. (July 2011). "Time machines and virtual portals: The spatialities of the digital divide". Progress in Development Studies. 11 (3): 211–227. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.659.9379. doi:10.1177/146499341001100303. S2CID 17281619.
  5. ^ Reilley, Collen A. (January 2011). "Teaching Wikipedia as a Mirrored Technology". First Monday. 16 (1–3). doi:10.5210/fm.v16i1.2824.
  6. ^ Reinhart, Julie M.; Thomas, Earl; Toriskie, Jeanne M. (2011). "K-12 Teachers: Technology Use and the Second Level Digital Divide". Journal of Instructional Psychology. 38 (3): 181–193. ISSN 0094-1956.
  7. ^ Kontos, Emily Z.; Emmons, Karen M.; Puleo, Elaine; Viswanath, K. (2010). "Communication Inequalities and Public Health Implications of Adult Social Networking Site Use in the United States". Journal of Health Communication. 15 (Suppl 3): 216–235. doi:10.1080/10810730.2010.522689. PMC 3073379. PMID 21154095.