The United States is the most wealthy nation in the world. The U.S. is one of the most technologically advanced countries as well. According to statistics put out by the U.S. Department of Commerce (Fall, 2000), 51% of all U.S. homes had a computer; 41.5% of all U.S. homes had Internet access. These statistics also show that Whites (46.1%)and Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders (56.8%) have Interent access over twice as much as Blacks (23.5%) and Hispanics (23.6%). Also, 86.3% of households earning $75,000 and above per year had Internet access compared to 12.7% of households earning less than $15,000 per year (1). There is apparently a link between race, class and access to technology, which supports the theory that the United States is racist and classist.
The Digital Divide is the gap between those who have the skills, access and resourses for technology and those who do not. This divide is based on factors such as race and class. In order to have access to the Internet one must have the resource to own a computer and pay for Internet connection. Though comparatively inexpensive in the United States, the cost is still a burden that is not neccesarily a neccessity for those who do not make much money.
One of the many issues being addressed regarding the Digital Divide is that of Native American representation. A new report of Internet usage is not inclusive of Native Americans. Once again, this is an example of the government neglecting particular communities and in effect widening the gap. According to statistics there is a digital divide in terms of race, class, gender, and age.
Because of racism in this country many times ethnic and racial minorities have less disposable income and work in less technological professions. This directly relates to class. Our society is also androcentric, which urges males to take advantage of technology more than females and thus creating a gap between gender. And if that wasn't enough, we are ageist. Children are often being exposed to technology within school and grow up with it. Adults have a much harder time keeping up with technology. With this in mind, older employees may not be able to do something as effciently as a younger person who has the chance to deal with technology all through life, thus the older person can lose a job or simply not be hired.
"One can say with some certainty that these technologies do represent the dominant culture in terms of the discourse they have generated. Secondly, these technologies have had great impact in the realms of professional work and education and less so on the domestic front. The cultural signification of these technologies is that they have arisen from the white, male culture. On the other hand, there is another side to these technologies that vitiates the argument of dominant culture. Internet technology is a technology that democratizes and decentralizes more so than any other media currently available. Internet technology cannot be controlled by dominant groups and does not lend itself to a natural monopoly status, in terms of content or presentation. Perhaps, this characteristic feature of Internet technology alone might bring out elements of social change not conceivable from conventional media. We therefore hypothesize that the use of the Internet by African-Americans will not follow the course of other media (2)."
- The statistics drawn from Falling Through The Net: Toward Digital Inclusion published by the NTIA in Fall 2000, comprise the best set of statistics by which to measure changes in computer ownership and Internet use. While the data is dated, it provides a strong basis on which to assess expansion and uptake of the Internet along specific categories. For more current tallies, please refer to the various companies measuring Internet activity as listed above.
- Diversity on
the Internet: The Relationship of Race to Access and Ussage, Thomas
P. Novak & Donna L. Hoffman
Project 2000, Vanderbilt University, Alladi Venkatesh, University of California Irvin; October 24, 1997 (Paper Prepared for the Aspen Institute's Forum on Diversity and the Media Queenstown, Maryland, November 5-7, 1997)