Digital Divide

While income appears to be the most likely indicator of access, racial and ethnic divides exist as well. In a March 2000 poll by National Public Radio, the Kaiser Family Foundation and Harvard's Kennedy School of Government reported that schools are playing an important role in equalizing access to computers for children.

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Lead
August 2000 data show that noticeable divides still exist among different racial and ethnic groups. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have maintained the highest level of home Internet access at 56.8%. Blacks and Hispanics, at the other end of the spectrum, continue to experience the lowest household Internet penetration rates at 23.5% and 23.6% respectively. While about one-third of the U.S. population uses the Internet at home, only 16.1% of Hispanics and 18.9% of Blacks use the Internet at home.

Access for Blacks and Hispanics Lags
Since 1997, rates of computer and Internet use by individuals have increased for each broad race/ethnic category. However, Whites and Asian American Pacific Islanders have had higher rates of both computer and Internet use than Blacks and Hispanics. In looking at Internet use alone, the rates of growth were faster for Blacks and Hispanics than Whites and Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders. From December 1998 to September 2001, Internet use among Blacks grew at an annual rate of 31 percent and for Hispanics it grew at an annual rate of 26 percent while growth for Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders was only 21 percent and for Whites it was only 19 percent.

Gap in Home Internet Usage Widens (except for Asians) Even as Use Increases
White Black Gap Hispanic Gap Asian Gap Dec 1998 37.6% 19% 18.6% 16.6% 21% 35.8% 1.8% Sept 2001 59.9% 39.8% 20.1% 31.6% 28.3% 60.4% -.5%

 

Computer Usage Grew
White Black Hispanic Asian Oct 1997 57.5% 43.6% 38% 57.5% Sept 2001 70% 55.7% 48.8% 71.2%