The coming of the internet as the greatest information system promised a world of democracy and equality, where all individuals had equal access to knowledge. However, in reality this perception does not exist as many people are disadvantaged by being excluded from participating in the new information technologies. Therefore, the notion of the digital divide exists largely in the virtual-society. An important aspect of the digital divide is the correlation between household type and internet access. That is, the structure of a household plays a significant role in predicting a household’s connectivity level. The structure of a household can include household size, the presence or absence of children and whether the family is controlled by one or two parents.
The number of people living together in house can largely determine their level of internet use. A study conducted in America by the NTIA found that households with internet usage generally tend to be larger than those which do not have internet access. The report also shows that those households that do not own a computer or mobile phone tend to have a mean size of 2.1 people. Comparably, those who have basic internet service have the largest households, with a mean size of 2.8 people (as cited in Fong et al, 2001, online).
Household internet access also correlates with whether there is one or two parents living in the household. The NTIA study established that when compared to two-parent households, single-parent households have lower internet, computer and telephone usage rates. According to the data from NTIA, for dual-parent households, internet access rates increase by nearly double (61%) compared to male-headed households with children (36%) and for female-headed households with children (30%)(as cited in Fong et al, 2001, online).
Research shows that there is a direct link between households with children and the level of internet usage. That is, households with children are considerably more likely to own a computer and have access to the internet. The NTIA reports that households with two parents and children have much higher rates of internet access than any other family type (as cited in Fong et al, 2001, online). Married couples without children are far less likely to have internet access (43.2%) than married couples with children under the age of 18 (61%). Lastly, the household type that is least likely to have internet access (28%) is non-family type households, comprised of single or unmarried people (as cited in Fong et al, 2001, online).
Overall, the NTIA’s study found that for all demographic groups, household type or family structure contributed greatly in determining levels of connectivity. (NTIA, 1999, online) Clearly, household type plays a significant role in determining whether people have access to the internet. It is important to recognize this correlation so it can be taken into account for future efforts to bridge the digital divide.
'Links to Wiki Sites
Youth Culture and New Technologies-Family Structure
Computer Technology and Children – Access and Participation
Links to other online sources
Australian Household Use of Information Technology
Fong, Eric; Wellman, Barry; Kew, Melissa; Wilkes, Rima (2001) Correlates of the Digital Divide: Individual Household and Spatial Variation, Department of Sociology, University of Toronto
NTIA (1999) Single-Parent Households At Information Disadvantage, Falling through the net: Defining the Digital Divide, [1] Date accessed: 17/09/04
Brooke Power 21:36, 28 Oct 2004 (EST)
