Langdon Winner (1997) believes virtual communities reflect a desire ‘to be connected to those who are like you and to avoid situations in which you would feel awkward’.
The digital divide refers to the inequalities of access to ICTs that arise from broader social inequalities based on social class and income, occupation, gender, race and ethnicity, geographical location (particularly urban/rural divides), and nationality.
The largest digital divide is between the ‘First World’ economies (particularly the USA, Canada and Western Europe) and the ‘Third World’ economies (Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and particularly Africa).
In the late 1990s, the gap between those who knew how to use computers and go online and those who did not, was so great that when the world began to recognize the potential of the Internet, the issue was given a name – the Digital Divide.
Experts warned that the disparity in access could be the biggest determining factor in who succeeds and who doesn't as more and more of the major functions of our society go online. Yet while the Digital Divide still has the potential to create a new type of caste system, experts say the chasm is narrowing. "Those online still tend to be somewhat younger, better educated and more affluent than the total adult population," wrote Humphrey Taylor in a Harris Interactive report based on a 2002 survey.
"However, as the Internet has grown, the profile of Internet users has become more like that of the total population. The Internet population now includes many more low-income and older people than it used to."
A number of demographic groups in particular have made tremendous strides in recent years. According to surveys by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, which analyses Internet usage, 59 percent of adult Hispanics in the United States over 18 (English-speaking ) have gone online, and they represent about 10 percent of the U.S. Internet universe.
About 48 percent of black adults have accessed the Internet, making up 9 percent of the total. About 62 percent of white adults are online, or about 76 percent of U.S. users. The survey is broad-based, asking only if the respondent has ever used the Internet.
The most wired group by far are Asian-Americans, with 74 percent going online on a typical day, according to another Pew study.
A new study by Nielsen NetRatings, which tracks Internet traffic, reported a recent surge in use by seniors over the age of 65. The survey showed senior Internet use jumping 25 percent from October 2002 to October 2003, with seniors from 55 to 64 increasing their usage by 15 percent. Nielsen estimates that about 7 percent of Internet users are over 65.
REFERENCES
Winner, L. (1997)"Making friends in cyberspace", Journal of Communication, vol.46, p.80-97.
Annabel Johnson 19:54, 28 Oct 2004 (EST)
