The skills and abilities needed to participate actively in the information age, including the skills and abilities neededto use computers and handheld devices (e.g., cell phones) effectively.
Published in Chapter:
The Digital Divides in the U.S.: Access, Broadband, and Nature of Internet Use
Linda A. Jackson (Michigan State University, USA), Hiram E. Fitzgerald (Michigan State University, USA), Alexander von Eye (Michigan State University, USA), Yong Zhao (Michigan State University, USA), and Edward A. Witt (Michigan State University, USA)
Copyright: © 2010
|Pages: 16
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-60566-699-0.ch012
Abstract
The purpose of this chapter is to describe the digital divides in the U.S. in terms of access, broadband connectivity, intensity of Internet use, and nature of Internet use. These divides hold true for both adults and youth and have far-reaching implications for both groups, as well as for society as a whole. For the most part the digital divides center around race, income, and, to a lesser extent, gender. Because the digital divides are complex and multifaceted any approach to reduce or eliminate them must also be complex and multifaceted. We suggest ways that educational, community, government, and corporate resources can be brought to bear on eliminating the digital divides.