Virtual Inequality Researching the Digital Divide Mary Stansbury, PhD SLIS – Kent State U.

Premises  More than access  Low-income not understood  Uninformed policy-making  Consequences are dire

Project  Interdisciplinary team  $103,000+ in funding  Monograph in production at Georgetown University Press

Project Methodology  National telephone survey  Targeted low-income  Extensive questionnaire  Multiple regression analyses

Access Divide  Least likely to have a computer at home Poor Less-educated Older

Access Divide  Least likely to have a computer at home Latino African-Americans

Access Divide  Least likely to have Internet at home Poor 39% for low; 63% for high Older 43% for 61 year olds; 67% for 28 year olds

Access Divide  Least likely to have Internet at home Less educated 44% for high school; 65% for college Democrats 54%; 64% for Republicans

Access Divide  Least likely to have Internet at home African Americans 37%; 54% for Whites Latinos 41%; 54% for Whites

Access Divide  Most willing to use public access points Affluent Educated African Americans

Access Divide  Sees libraries as “community gathering places” Poor Women Latinos African Americans

Skill Divide  Types of questions Particular skills Attitudes toward skills Preferences for learning

Skill Divide -- Percentages  Assistance needed (all respondents) Using a mouse and typing – 22% Using – 31% Using word processing – 52%

Skill Divide -- Percentages  Assistance needed (all respondents) Finding books in a library – 37% Finding information on the Internet – 37%

Skill Divide -- Probabilities  Most likely to need assistance Older 52% for 61 year olds 20% for 28 year olds

Skill Divide -- Probabilities  Most likely to need assistance Less educated 42% for high school 25% for college

Skill Divide -- Probabilities  Most likely to need assistance Poor 42% for low 30% for high

Skill Divide -- Probabilities  Most likely to need assistance African Americans 45% 34% for Whites

Skill Divide -- Probabilities  Importance of skills Needed to “keep up with the times” Latinos – 80%  65% for Whites African Americans – 78%  65% for Whites

Skill Divide -- Probabilities  Importance of skills Needed to “get ahead” Young  73% for 28 year olds  55% for 61 year olds

Skill Divide -- Probabilities  Importance of skills Needed to “get ahead” African Americans  76%  66% for Whites

Skill Divide -- Probabilities  Importance of skills Needed to “get ahead” Unemployed  74%  67% for Employed

Skill Divide -- Probabilities  Importance of skills Needed to “get ahead” Women  67%  63% for Men

Skill Divide -- Probabilities  Instructional preferences One-on-One instruction Educated Young Women

Skill Divide -- Probabilities  Instructional preferences Group instruction Educated Young Latinos African Americans

Digital Experience

Conclusions 1.The Digital Divide exists. 2.The Digital Divide is multifaceted.

Conclusions 3.Market cannot correct the problem. 4. Policy issues are access, skill, and education.

Conclusions 5.Take advantage of the opportunities in attitudes and interest.

Questions or Comments? Mary Stansbury, PhD