Digital Divisions

People would use the Internet more if they could afford it

A recent paper and survey from researchers at Cornell and the University of Toronto puts some interesting data on the digital divide issue. Through a survey of more than 18,000 Americans, the researchers found that people on the lower end of the income spectrum spend more time on the Internet. Graphing the data reveals and interesting correlation.

The researchers give a few possible explanations for the findings. That for people in lower income groups the use of the Internet was more valuable than other activities, the Internet has more value for these groups, these groups had more time to spend on the Internet, or these groups see more value in using the Internet.

This compelling data should support the argument for those pushing governments to provide more funding to connect low income people, and in fact the authors of the paper suggest this:

The results show that predicted usage among low-income individuals would be high, even higher than their [higher income] counterparts … In particular, these findings suggest that a subsidy for internet use would not be wasted. Individuals who have not yet adopted (and who are primarily low-income) would use the internet intensely if given access.

The data collected by the study is a few years old, from 2001, but the researchers affirm that their inferences from the data are still valid, saying the same pricing structures exist, keeping the same lower income groups out.

found via PhysOrg