An Emerging Digital Divide
In a recent article, I noted that social networking and mobile devices were creating a shift in how people interact "online". The two phenomena seem to be converging in a way that supplants the desktop computer and traditional applications, such as email, with social interaction centered around the handset.
Another aspect of this trend was highlighted on a segment during the December 1, 2009 broadcast of NPR's Morning edition. The story is based on research from the Pew Research Center that shows young Hispanic and African American mobile users are using their handheld devices more – and for more activities – than their white counterparts. A big driver for this higher usage is that applications such as texting are preferred for keeping in touch with friends and family. Another driver: adding additional mobile services is seen as more affordable than adding a home ISP connection and purchasing a computer.
A few years ago, one of the debates was the "digital divide" that separated whites and minorities based on their access to the Internet. Mobility seems to have flipped the divide, with whites now trailing behind blacks and especially Hispanics in their consumption of mobile services.
Speaking of digital divides, a well-known study from 2006 suggested that we are getting more isolated from each other, and that technology either was not stemming this trend or was actually accelerating it. A new research study from Pew challenges this popular notion that technology is leading to increased isolation.
Posted at 03:18PM Dec 01, 2009
by David King in Technology |
