The Deepening Divide: Inequality in the Information Society
Abstract
The Deepening Divide: Inequality in the Information Society explains why the digital divide is still widening and, in advanced high-tech societies, deepening. Taken from an international perspective, the book offers full coverage of the literature and research and a theoretical framework from which to analyze and approach the issue. Where most books on the digital divide only describe and analyze the issue, Jan van Dijk presents 26 policy perspectives and instruments designed to close the divide itself.
... The digital divide refers to the gap between individuals and communities with access to digital technologies and those without. This divide can limit the effectiveness of e-Government initiatives, particularly in regions with low levels of digital literacy or limited access to technology (Van Dijk, 2005). In the context of Zamboanga City, addressing the digital divide is crucial to ensuring that e-Government initiatives are inclusive and accessible to all citizens. ...
... The disparity in access to digital technologies and the internet can limit the effectiveness of online services and platforms. Research by Van Dijk (2005) highlights that bridging the digital divide requires targeted efforts to improve infrastructure and digital literacy. ...
... Addressing the digital divide is critical for ensuring that e-Government initiatives are inclusive and accessible to all citizens. Efforts to improve digital infrastructure, provide digital literacy training, and support community access to technology are essential components of a successful e-Government strategy (Van Dijk, 2005). ...
... Then, the definition of digital divide was expanded beyond access to digital devices; with learners and instructors beginning to need other resources, including digital skills to use technology (Ritzhaupt et al., 2013;Van Dijk & Hacker, 2003;Warschauer, 2003). In the last decade, the digital divide has been defined as the difference in technology usage that indicates possible consequences and output differences based on people's access to technology and information communication technology (ICT) skills and the way they use technology (Van Deursen et al., 2015;Van Dijk, 2020;Wei et al., 2011). Motivation and attitude were reported as a dimension of the digital divide, which denotes people's willingness to acquire the technology, learn digital skills and competencies, and use technology (Van Dijk, 2020). ...
... In the last decade, the digital divide has been defined as the difference in technology usage that indicates possible consequences and output differences based on people's access to technology and information communication technology (ICT) skills and the way they use technology (Van Deursen et al., 2015;Van Dijk, 2020;Wei et al., 2011). Motivation and attitude were reported as a dimension of the digital divide, which denotes people's willingness to acquire the technology, learn digital skills and competencies, and use technology (Van Dijk, 2020). Thus, research shows that the digital divide is a more complex and multidimensional issue. ...
... Meanwhile, Van Dijk (2005) examined many forms of social and educational inequality related to the digital divide and proposed a model to explain the digital divide among adults, a collection of causes (personal and positional categorical inequalities or distribution of resources), and possible consequences (participation in society). Rather than focusing on access to digital devices and the internet, Van Dijk (2005 split the concept of access to ICT into four levels: (1) motivational and attitude access, (2) physical access, (3) skill access, and (4) usage access. ...
In this systematic review on the educational digital divide, we examined 77 studies for publication trends, context, research methods, digital divide factors, dimensions and interventions using a multidimensional approach. This review identified factors such as socioeconomic status, gender, geography, age, ethnicity, parent knowledge/educational level, school type and second language influencing digital divide and found gender, geography, and socio-economic status were the most studied. Among multidimensional digital divide dimensions, utilization and access dimensions were most studied compared to cognitive and affective dimensions. Among 17 digital divide sub-dimensions examined, student use, internet access, and hardware access were the most studied. Interventions recommended in research for digital inclusion include providing technology resources; training, instruction and support for teachers, students and parents; and organizational practices.
... This study draws on the resources and appropriation theory (RAT) [20] to examine what factors influence self-reliant internet use and UBP. RAT stipulates that different circumstances contribute to how people benefit from the adoption of the internet. ...
... The core argument is that disparities in personal (e.g., age, gender) and positional (e.g., labor position, education, household composition) categories structure inequalities in the distribution of material and social resources, which influence people's access to the internet. Although RAT has mostly been applied to study self-reliant internet use, RAT is also applicable to the study of UBP among older internet non-users because it postulates that personal and positional categories shape all forms of digital engagement [20]. We propose to expand the use of RAT to examine the factors that impact UBP in older adults. ...
... In this study, we adopt the resources and appropriation theory (RAT) to help organize and explain findings related to self-reliant internet use and use-by-proxy (UBP) among older adults. RAT suggests that categorical inequalities cause divergences in the distribution of material and social resources, which influence access to the internet [20]. According to RAT, categorical inequalities are based on a number of personal and positional categories [20]. ...
... The relationship between digital skills and the digital divide is clearly identified in the Resources and Appropriation Theory of Three-level Digital Divide developed by Van Dijk [28,29], who concluded that inequality in Internet access persists even though it is nearly saturated in developed countries. Differences in the use of digital devices to access the Internet (1st level digital divide) and other factors such as personal resources and personal position as well as Internet usage motivation cause inequalities in material access, which in turn inequalities in material access cause disparities in digital skills and usage (2nd level digital divide) and outcomes (3rd level digital divide). ...
... Thus, there exist differences in digital skills as well as in the digital divide in accessing and using the Internet in daily life and at work by demographic factors that are similar to the argument presented in the Resources and Appropriation Theory of Three-level Digital Divide [28,29]. In other words, there is a causal inverse relationship between digital divide and digital skills. ...
... As of January 2023, the Internet penetration rate in Vietnam accounted for approximately 75% of the total population, which is higher than the world average of 64.6% [44]. However, the digital divide, according to Resource and Attribution Theory of the Three-level Digital Divide [28,29], will persist even if physical access (first level) to the Internet is saturated, because the differences in demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of Internet users still exist and cause inequalities in material access, which leads to disparities in digital skills and usage (second level) and outcomes (third level). Therefore, policy implications should focus on improving citizens' demographic characteristics and socioeconomic status that cause inequality at the first and second levels of the digital divide. ...
Background: This study is conducted in the context of the remarkable development of digital technology that has a profound impact on many facets of life, including the comprehensive transformation of abilities and the working style of businesses and the workforce. To survive and develop in an emerging digital society and ever-changing digital environment, workers and business leaders need to equip themselves with the necessary digital skills to adapt to job requirements. Objective: This study explores the current status of the digital skills of human resources and its impact on the level of digital transformation readiness of Vietnamese enterprises. At the same time, the inverse relationship between digital skills and the digital divide was explored for the first time in Vietnam. Methodology: A secondary research method was used to summarize and analyze the results of surveys conducted by Vietnamese government agencies and previous studies to investigate the current status of digital skills of human resources and factors affecting the digital readiness of Vietnamese enterprises in the context of ongoing DX. Results: The results show that the digital skills of enterprise HR are weak, the level of DX readiness is low, and there is a reciprocal relationship between digital skills and the digital divide. The principal findings contribute to policy implications aimed at enhancing digital skills for the workforce and enterprises’ HR, and bridging the digital divide within the population in the long term. Doi: 10.28991/HIJ-2024-05-03-013 Full Text: PDF
... The study utilizes Van Dijk's (2005) conceptual framework to analyse and elucidate the digital disparities in rural Bangladesh. The causal model identifies how access to the internet differs and creates a first-level digital divide, and partial analysis of Cumulative and Recursive Model (CRM) recognizes the second-level digital divide ( Fig. 1). ...
... Additionally, Household size variable exhibits significantly positive relationship with internet access, albeit with a negligible magnitude. Education variable found to a consistent predictor in explaining digital divide, reflecting the influence of both motivation and capacity to use internet, which align with the previous studies (DiMaggio et al. 2004;Van Dijk 2005), indicating that higher levels of education correlate with higher likelihood of access to internet (similar to Van Dijk 2005). In more detail, individuals with educational backgrounds spanning from Class I-VIII, SSC/HSC/ equivalent, and beyond HSC levels show average probabilities of internet access approximately 13, 30, and 40% points greater, respectively, when compared to those without any formal education. ...
... Additionally, Household size variable exhibits significantly positive relationship with internet access, albeit with a negligible magnitude. Education variable found to a consistent predictor in explaining digital divide, reflecting the influence of both motivation and capacity to use internet, which align with the previous studies (DiMaggio et al. 2004;Van Dijk 2005), indicating that higher levels of education correlate with higher likelihood of access to internet (similar to Van Dijk 2005). In more detail, individuals with educational backgrounds spanning from Class I-VIII, SSC/HSC/ equivalent, and beyond HSC levels show average probabilities of internet access approximately 13, 30, and 40% points greater, respectively, when compared to those without any formal education. ...
This study aims to investigate the digital divide theory to provide a comparative dimension of internet disparities, and getting meaningful insights on the first (access to internet) and second (skills and utilization) level of digital divides in context of rural Bangladesh. The first-time representative survey of 6500 samples from rural Bangladesh explores the extent of differences in internet access, skills in navigating internet, and utilization of internet. The socio-demographic factors are identified to explain those inequalities using regression approaches. Findings reveal very clear-cut variations in outcomes. More specifically, age, gender, marital status, household size, educational qualification, household’s income and geographical location variables are found to explain the disparity in internet access. Moreover, factors associated with the second level of digital divide measured in terms of web-browsing and information seeking skills also vary within and across the categories though in some way it differs from the first level of digital divide. The internet skills variable is found to be a statistically significant factor in explaining variations in internet utilization.
... In this paper, we investigate digital inequalities in Benin among smallholder farmers. First, we analyze digital inequalities through its four stagesattitudes, material access, skills, and usage according to the resources and appropriation theory (Van Dijk, 2005). Then, we determine how important smallholder farmers' socioeconomic conditions and personal characteristics are associated with the four digital inequalities stages. ...
... To highlight digital inequalities between farmers, we draw upon Van Dijk's (2005) theory of resources and appropriation, which not only elucidates the individual process of digital appropriation but also explains how one's profile contributes to digital inequalities. This theory posits that the personal and positional characteristics of individuals lead to disparities in resource allocation, thereby creating digital inequalities ( Figure 1). ...
... Also, persons with low income are more reluctant (Barzilai-Nahon, 2006) and those with higher income are more likely to use the Internet (Van Der Zeeuw et al., 2019). Similarly, less educated people have less Internet access (Van Dijk, 2005), less digitally competent (Scheerder et al., 2017) and less use (Blank and Groselj, 2014). Also, several studies have shown a positive relationship between social status commitment, and motivation to go digital. ...
Digital inequalities in the agricultural sector have become a prominent concern since the advent of digital technologies. To address these inequalities among farmers, it is essential to gain a comprehensive understanding of their nature and underlying determinants. Drawing upon Van Dijk's theory of resources and appropriation, this study was conducted in Benin, a West African country, involving a sample of 307 smallholder farmers. Structural equation models are used to analyze the data. Firstly, the results reveal that the attitude of farmers is positively associated with their material access to digital technology, which, in turn, fosters the development of their digital skills encompassing both formal and strategic skills. These skills propel the integration of digital technology into agricultural practices. Farmers’ attitudes not only influence their access to digital tools but also significantly shape the development of their skill sets and the effective use of digital technologies in agriculture. Consequently, attitude emerges as an important factor in appropriating digital technology. Furthermore, this study identifies personal characteristics of farmers, including gender, age, income, level of education, and the presence of school-going children in their households, as factors influencing digital inequalities. Policies should foster positive attitudes, enhance digital skills, ensure equitable access, and address gender-specific barriers to reduce digital inequalities among smallholder farmers in agriculture.
... A distinction was made between those with and those without access, referred to as "haves and havenots" (DiMaggio & Hargittai, 2001, p. 1). In later research, the focus shifted toward differences in skills and usage (Van Dijk, 2005), also known as the "second-level digital divide" (Hargittai, 2002, para. 1), stressing that International Journal of Communication 18 (2024) Needs of Households in Poverty 3857 inequalities result from the way Internet technologies are used. ...
... 1), stressing that International Journal of Communication 18 (2024) Needs of Households in Poverty 3857 inequalities result from the way Internet technologies are used. In later years, scholars put forward the idea that the research on digital inequality should focus not only on access, skills, and usage but also on the actual consequences of Internet use (Selwyn, 2004;Van Dijk, 2005). This approach, labeled the "third-level digital divide" (Van Deursen & Helsper, 2015a, p. 29;Wei, Teo, Chan, & Tan, 2011, p. 170), concerns the positive and negative outcomes of Internet use that enhance or restrict one's societal position. ...
... Furthermore, the findings reveal that digital inclusion support needs to transcend a mere focus on digital skills. In line with Van Dijk's (2005) resources and appropriation theory, Internet access can be considered a process that, besides skills, encompasses attitude and motivation, material access, and usage. ...
As poverty and digital exclusion interrelate, it is relevant to investigate how households in poverty may be best supported in relation to the Internet. Social workers have unique insights into supporting households in poverty, but their perspectives have received limited research attention thus far. Hence, we conducted semistructured expert interviews with 14 social workers to gather their perspectives on digital inclusion support needs. These interviews aim to provide key insights into the role of the Internet in fulfilling economic, cultural, social, and personal needs. While the potential of the Internet is highlighted alongside a few perceived benefits, such as finding free activities in the neighborhood or supporting each other on social media, social workers underline that the Internet may make administrative tasks more complex and may amplify stress. This research adds social workers’ perspectives to existing knowledge on digital inclusion needs and poverty and assists in establishing related support and policies.
... Operational skill refers to one's ability to operate digital devices; informational skill is an indicator of one's ability to search, select, process, and assess information; and strategic skill reflects the capabilities to use digital devices as the vehicle to reach specific goals (Van Dijk, 2005). Although the original scale was developed and tested with the faculty participants, the subscales that we included in our questionnaire (measuring digital competence -operational, informational, and strategic skills) were not specific to faculty. ...
... Level of participants' overall and specific (operational, informational, strategic) digital skills Our second research question was 'Are there significant differences in the three types of digital skills (operational, informational, and strategic digital skills) possessed by university students?' A one-way repeated measure analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to evaluate if the university students' digital competence significantly differs in terms of their operational skills, informational skills, and strategic skills as suggested byVan Dijk (2005). The results of the ANOVA revealed that there is no significant among the three types of specific digital skills, i.e., operational (M = 4.078, SD = 0.687), informational (M = 4.207, SD = 0.819), or strategic skills (M = 4.140, SD = 0.701), Wilks' Lambda = 0.978, F(1, 222) = 0.259, p = 0.611, eta 2 = 0.022. ...
... Semelhante à vulnerabilidade social, que se relaciona com a exposição a riscos e desvantagens sociais, a vulnerabilidade tecnoinformacional tem implicações significativas para o exercício da cidadania. Indivíduos tecnologicamente vulneráveis encontram-se em desvantagem em termos de oportunidades, participação cívica, acesso a serviços públicos, educação e emprego, afetando a qualidade de vida e o exercício da cidadania, podendo agravar a exclusão social, dada a crescente dependência das tecnologias na vida moderna [5] [8]. ...
... Este tipo de vulnerabilidade não pode ser desconsiderado na fase de prototipação de novas tecnologias. Fatores como idade, nível de escolaridade, renda e acesso a inovações influenciam a capacidade de adaptação [6] [8]. Os idosos quilombolas são sujeitos a essa vulnerabilidade devido a barreiras materiais, motivacionais, de habilidades e de uso. ...
This position paper aims to evaluate the viewer experience during the transition to app-driven digital TV. Using focus groups and individual assessments, complemented by a quantitative survey, the research initially aimed to understand the average viewer’s assessment. However, important nuances were identified concerning populations experiencing digital exclusion, which were addressed with complementary qualitative investigation. The results highlight both the positive reception and specific difficulties faced by average viewers and viewers in situations of digital vulnerability.
... In remote and underdeveloped areas, limited access to technology and reliable internet can make mobile learning initiatives difficult to implement and effective (Warschauer, 2003). This inequity exacerbates existing educational disparities by preventing disadvantaged students from accessing mobile learning resources and opportunities (Van Dijk, 2006). ...
... 2. Challenges and Limitations 2.1 Digital Divide: Disparities in technology and internet connectivity can impede the efficacy of mobile learning, especially in remote or underdeveloped areas (Warschauer, 2003;Van Dijk, 2006 ...
Background and Aim: Mobile learning is critical because it uses technology, wireless networks, and the internet to provide educational access anytime and anywhere, allowing students to direct their education. This flexibility promotes personalized learning experiences and aids in the seamless integration of education into daily life, making learning more adaptable and accessible. Thus, this paper aims to investigate mobile learning for enhancing Self-Directed Education through Technology, Wireless Networks, and the Internet Anytime, Anywhere. Materials and Methods: The paper used secondary sources and a structured literature search to examine recent advances in mobile learning. It identifies key themes and trends to shed light on mobile learning's current impact and future potential in education. Results: The study discovered that mobile learning revolutionized education through its flexibility and personalization, allowing students to access content on demand and tailor their studies to their specific needs. While challenges such as the digital divide persisted, mobile learning's transformative benefits in increasing engagement and expanding access to global resources were significant. This approach encouraged self-directed, lifelong learning, which was critical for adapting to the changing educational landscape. Conclusion: The study revealed that mobile learning fundamentally reshaped education by providing students with flexible, on-demand access and personalized learning paths. Despite ongoing challenges such as the digital divide, the approach's key benefits—such as increased engagement and greater access to resources—promoted a self-directed and lifelong learning mindset, which was critical for adapting to the changing educational environment.
... The relevance of analyzing the dynamics that occur in the media ecosystem lies not only in the fact that it is where the circulation and generation of information occurs, as well as communicative acts -fundamental in themselves-but also because of the function it fulfills as a space for the dissemination and collective production of knowledge. Thus, extending access to and use of media and technologies so that individuals and societies can get the most out of them would reduce the digital divide (van Dijk, 2005). ...
This article reflects on the pillars of media and information literacy (MIL) in the context of artificial intelligence (AI). As AI-based technologies are integrated into the contemporary media ecosystem, the need to develop skills that enable critical and effective interaction with these systems becomes increasingly urgent. Key skills such as access, analysis, creation, reflection, and action are highlighted, with a proposed update for each to address the challenges and opportunities that AI presents. The final reflection emphasizes the importance of adapting and expanding MIL competencies to strengthen civic engagement and critical thinking in an algorithm-mediated world.
... The World Economic Forum (WEF) (2023) used it to refer to the disparity in the benefits and adoption of AI between the Global North and Global South. The concept itself is entangled with digital divide, where the imbalance in access and capacities to harness the promises of technologies to advance societies remains concentrated within rich countries and less beneficial to those at the periphery of geopolitical, economic, and social constellations (van Dijk 2005). In that sense, the transfer of AI technologies flows from the rich to the poor countries that still struggle to improve digital infrastructure, technical capacities, and literacies. ...
Although AI technologies reportedly can address accessibility issues and the risks have been documented, debates around AI have left developing countries and people with disabilities (PwDs) behind. Despite the global marketization of AI technologies, the understanding of AI and disability in developing countries in the Global South remains scant. Through semi-structured interviews with key personnel of disabled people organizations in Indonesia and Vietnam, this study found that a pocket of the disabled viewed AI as formidable but foreign because of the persistent information void within the disabled community. AI potentially magnifies the existing bias against the disabled, but their unique features and lived experiences are irreplaceable by AI. The findings seek attention from developers, activists, and policy makers in emerging markets as the benefits of AI have reached wider audiences but PwDs and the risks of AI–human interactions to them have been narrowly discussed in Southeast Asia (SEA).
... Sementara itu, siswa di daerah pedesaan seperti Karangasem dan Bangli masih menghadapi keterbatasan akses dan keterampilan digital yang memadai, mendukung pentingnya penerapan Digital Inclusion Theory. Teori ini menekankan bahwa akses setara terhadap teknologi perlu diimbangi dengan pelatihan keterampilan digital agar siswa di daerah terpencil dapat memanfaatkan teknologi secara optimal dalam pendidikan (Van Dijk, 2005). ...
Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis dampak komunikasi digital terhadap pengembangan pendidikan di Bali dalam konteks kemajuan sosial dan budaya. Penelitian ini mengeksplorasi peluang dan tantangan yang dihadapi oleh sistem pendidikan di Bali seiring dengan meningkatnya penggunaan teknologi digital. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa meskipun teknologi digital dapat meningkatkan aksesibilitas dan kualitas pendidikan, terdapat kesenjangan digital antara wilayah perkotaan dan pedesaan yang membatasi peluang yang sama bagi seluruh siswa. Selain itu, paparan terhadap konten digital global berisiko mengurangi pemahaman siswa tentang nilai-nilai budaya lokal. Oleh karena itu, penelitian ini merekomendasikan penerapan literasi digital dalam kurikulum pendidikan untuk membantu siswa memilah konten yang sesuai dengan budaya mereka. Penelitian ini juga menekankan pentingnya menggunakan teknologi sebagai alat untuk memperkenalkan dan melestarikan budaya lokal. Secara keseluruhan, komunikasi digital berpotensi besar dalam pengembangan pendidikan, namun harus diimbangi dengan upaya pelestarian budaya lokal untuk mencapai keseimbangan yang berkelanjutan.
... Van Deursen e Van Dijk (2009) propongono un framework molto citato in letteratura e proveniente dalla precedente proposta di Van Dijk (2005), in cui le dimensioni principali sono: competenze operative (relative all'uso del mezzo), informative (relative alla capacità di gestione dei contenuti) e strategiche (relative alla gestione delle finalità d'uso). Altri studi preferiscono invece distinguere tra aree legate a pratiche e obiettivi specifici, come ad esempio cercare informazioni, comunicare, partecipare, cercare assistenza, e così via (Hargittai e Micheli, 2019;Helsper et al., 2020). ...
The development of digital competence among youth is one of the main focuses of European and Italian policies, but only few international studies measure this construct in a statistically rigorous manner. This article analyses data collected up to 2024 using the first standardized performance test available in Italy, which has been developed following the European framework DigComp. The dataset consists of 6,646 records from students ranging from grade 6 to 13 who completed the test between 2021 and 2024, thanks to the participation of at least one of their teachers in the Benessere Digitale-Scuole project. The article examines the performance of the sample across different school levels and grades, as well as individual, family, and school factors influencing digital competence. Results show that digital competence increases with grade level, with communication being the most familiar area to students, while information & literacy appears to be the least mastered. Significant differences are observed on the basis of students’ school level, migratory background, and parental education. Additionally, digital competence shows a positive correlation with self-reported marks, especially in Italian, especially for students from disadvantaged socio-school contexts.
... This technology has not only increased the convenience of life and expanded the opportunities for communication but has also largely changed the way information is accessed, processed, and used. 1 More importantly, ICT offers the elderly in accessing health information, engaging in social activities, and maintaining social connections, and this has become a key factor in improving the health and life quality for the older population. [1][2][3] Despite the opportunities that ICT offers, the digital divide becomes more significant between different generations in which the older population was not able to acquire, validate, and effectively use information through ICT easily. This issue has become even more pronounced in the quarantine period during the COVID-19 pandemic. ...
Objective
Despite previous research identifying factors such as age, education level, income, and interest in technology that influence digital literacy among the elderly, this study attempts to use machine learning algorithms, especially ensemble learning algorithms, to predict and identify the key factors that affect the digital information literacy of the elderly, so as to propose effective strategies to improve the elderly's ability to utilize digital information and better integrate into the digital society.
Methods
This study used primary data on older adults from the Digital Divide Survey 2022 conducted by the Korea National Information Society Agency. A predictive model was built, and 15 variables that were highly important in predicting digital information literacy were identified. Prediction accuracy was assessed using an ensemble of algorithms including Random Forest, LGBM, XGBoost, AdaBoost, and CatBoost.
Results
The study found that in addition to demographic factors and personal technology use ability factors, relationship support factors and social digital environment factors are also important predictors of digital information literacy for the elderly. Among different predictive models, the CatBoost model, based on boosting ensemble, exhibited the highest predictive accuracy at 86.2%, followed by Random Forest (85.5%), LGBM (85.2%), XGBoost (84.5%), and AdaBoost (83.8%). The predictive accuracies of these models were higher than those of traditional machine learning models, indicating the effectiveness of ensemble learning algorithms in predicting digital information literacy among the elderly.
Conclusions
The academic significance of this study lies in the application of artificial intelligence technologies to the social sciences, specifically demonstrating the effectiveness of ensemble learning algorithms in predicting factors influencing the digital literacy levels of the elderly. This approach provides a novel and powerful tool for addressing complex social issues. The practical significance lies in the proposed strategies for improving the digital literacy of the elderly based on the research results, including education and training, social relationship support, social participation, technical support, and policy formulation, aiming to help the elderly better adapt to the digital environment, narrow the digital divide, and enhance the elderly's sense of participation and happiness in the digital society.
... However, research has shown that not all students are equally familiar with digital technologies, and that these technologies are not equally available to everyone (Van Dijk, 2005;Dolan, 2016;Janschitz & Penker, 2022;Ben Youssef, Dahmani, Omran, 2010;Tien & Fu, 2008;Seale, Georgeson, Mamas, Swain, 2015;Clamore & Saloma, 2023;Ristić & Kišjuhas, 2023). Therefore, there are undoubtedly digital inequalities among students, i.e., differences in the quality and quantity of their digital capital which could be considered evidence that the notion of young people as digital natives is a myth . ...
The aim of the paper is to analyze the characteristics of students'students'digital capital, with a particular focus on education and digital inequalities. It is assumed that students'students'digital capital is relatively high, as they are digital natives. Auxiliary hypotheses relate to characteristics of digital capital in education, as well as the dependence of digital capital on students'students'socio-demographic and educational characteristics. The analysis is based on the data from a survey conducted on a sample of 438 students. For the purposes of the analysis, a five-dimensional index of students'students'digital capital was constructed. The results partially confirm the main hypothesis and an auxiliary one, while the hypotheses regarding digital capital in education and the impact of educational portfolio are fully confirmed.
... One of the primary barriers to e-learning is the digital divide, which refers to the gap between those who have access to modern information and communication technology and those who do not (Van Dijk, 2005). This divide can be due to various factors, including socioeconomic status, geographical location, and infrastructure. ...
Volume 3 of the Sourcebook Series, titled Innovative Methodologies and Digital Tools for Online Education in the Field of Smart and Sustainable Cities, explores the intersection of digital technology and education, specifically tailored for the rapidly evolving disciplines of smart and sustainable urban development. Edited by Dr. Ticiano Costa Jordão, Nelly Narges Karimi, and Eduardo Carrillo Zambrano, this sourcebook addresses the growing demand for innovative e-learning tools and methodologies that equip students and educators with the skills to tackle contemporary urban challenges.
Funded by the EEA & Norway Grants, this volume provides educators with a comprehensive guide to digital learning strategies, integrating advanced tools such as virtual reality (VR), gamification, and collaborative online platforms. It is structured in two parts: the first part examines the theoretical foundations of e-learning in the context of smart and sustainable cities, emphasizing the role of digital pedagogy in transforming traditional learning environments. The second part offers practical applications, including global case studies, that showcase how digital tools are currently being implemented to enhance education and research in urban sustainability.
This sourcebook is an essential resource for educators, urban planners, and policymakers dedicated to fostering a digital-forward approach in teaching smart city concepts. By bridging theoretical insights with actionable strategies, it empowers academic institutions to adapt their curricula to the demands of a digitalized, sustainability-focused world. Volume 3 emphasizes the importance of equipping future professionals with digital competencies essential for creating resilient and sustainable urban spaces.
Keywords: Online Education, Digital Tools, Smart Cities, Sustainability, Virtual Learning, Urban Development, Innovative Pedagogy
... Currently, we identify three levels of the digital divide; the first level of the digital divide represents the inequality of access to digital tools and infrastructures (Van Dijk, 2005). The second level of the digital divide is based on the disparities in computer and Internet use. ...
Abstract Large-scale standardised assessments can exclude certain groups of
students at various stages, from the test’s design to the analysis of its results.
Students with disabilities, for example, may find it challenging to access the test
due to the design or technological barriers, leading to their exclusion (Hickey,
2015). Additionally, biased or stereotyped analyses, such as the belief that girls
are inherently worse at math, can exclude certain students (Villani & Carbone,
2020). The impact of these exclusion mechanisms can have significant implications for students’ learning paths and the entire school system. Over the past
twenty years, there have been efforts to make large-scale standardised assessments more inclusive (Cawthon & Shyyan, 2022; Hickey, 2015). According to
Cawthon and Shyyan (2022), strategies for addressing assessment accessibility
aim to balance equity in testing experiences while maintaining standardised test
designs. However, this balance raises questions about what is measured and the
various methods available to demonstrate an understanding of that construct.
... Given the importance of digital participation in the contemporary knowledge society, there is a significant interest in understanding the factors, particularly socio-demographic and socio-economic, that influence the digital divide. The digital divide is typically examined at two levels: the firstlevel digital divide, which refers to disparities in access to digital technologies [30,31], and the second-level digital divide, which involves differences in digital technologies use and relevant digital competences [23,32,33]. While the first-level digital divide remains a major challenge in developing countries [34], recent research suggests that as access disparities decrease, non-physical factors become more prominent [35,36]. ...
The paper presents empirical data on the perceived level of general digital competences of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Serbia (n = 250) using an established methodology to ensure international comparability. The paper aims to answer the following research questions: What is the perceived level of digital competences of PWDs? What demographic and socioeconomic factors determine PWDs perceptions of digital competences at different levels?. The study followed a quantitative approach. The survey was designed to collect information on the perception of digital competences of PWDs. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including the Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Spearman’s correlation coefficient, and binary logistic regression. The results reveal that while a significant proportion of PWDs consider themselves sufficiently competent to perform digital tasks, there are still significant differences, particularly in access to key information and e-services. In addition, key variables such as gender, age, education, employment status, regularity of monthly income and health status were identified as influential factors in the perception of digital competences among PWDs. Finally, men with disabilities of younger age and with walking impairments were found to be several times more likely to consider themselves sufficiently competent to complete tasks independently compared to the other categories of PWDs observed. The findings underscore the urgency of addressing digital inequalities holistically and make the case for targeted digital training and inclusive initiatives that consider gender differences, age and market dynamics.
... Adverse digital incorporation stems from factors like ignorance, compulsion, or lack of alternatives, resulting in design, resource, relational, and institutional inequalities. This phenomenon aligns with Toyama's (2015) "Law of Amplification," or van Dijk's (2005) reference to the "Matthew effect," where technology amplifies existing human forces, or a lack of them. ...
Much has been said about the importance of digital inclusion in reducing the digital divide and ensuring equal access and use of ICTs for all. Generally, inclusivity has a positive connotation, meaning that no one should be left behind by digitalization processes. However, the inclusion of marginalized communities into the digital system could lead to new exclusions within the new system because it amplifies the pre-existing social inequalities that these communities face, creating digital inequality. By observing the implementation of School of Community Networks in 10 Indonesian villages, this article attempts to describe those inequalities and explain how rural communities actively design a strategy to make their involvement in Indonesia’s digitalization more meaningful. The conceptual framework developed in this study adopts a “periphery-centric” approach, aligning with the user-centric approach, as it examines from the perspective of marginalized communities how they perceive, understand, and utilize digital technology by generating new forms of innovation that have real impacts on their community, such as tailored applications for public services and local internet infrastructure to reach remote areas. The approach poses the problem and strategic dimension of the issue and puts forward the ownership and locality of these innovations to overcome digital inequality. With the meaningful use of digital technology, the inclusiveness of socially less-advantaged groups into the digital system does not immediately create new inequality; rather, they make themselves the center of their respective bottom-up innovation projects.
... Digital knowledge, refers both to i) differentiation: a breadth of knowledge about ICT, internet, media, information and digital literacy; and ii) integration: how that knowledge is absorbed or included into an existing life context (Jansen et al., 2009). Digital skills include operational and technical competencies, in addition to strategic ICT skills that enable the achievement of more specific professional and educational goals rather than just for personal entertainment (van Dijk, 2005, Van Deuersen & van Dijk, 2009Ilomäki et al., 2011;Ferrari, 2012). Digital attitudes are based in the affective domain and are strongly influenced by cognitive, emotional and behavioural elements. ...
Context: Since March 2020 and the global pandemic, our 'new normal' is comprised of emerging COVID-19 variants, intermittent national lockdowns, restricted social interactions, and a continuation of remote online teaching and working from home. FAVE professionals have engaged with digital technologies, and related pedagogies and practices, in response to the need to deliver of their programmes through Emergency Remote Online (ERO) teaching. Approach: This qualitative case study examined the perspectives of an online Community of Practice comprised of eight FAVE educators. The study took a methodological approach where each participant served as a case, representing a unique aspect of the 'remote' digital educator experience. Findings: The experience of creating and sustaining ERO teaching as described by the participant researchers is both challenging and rewarding. Findings establish the importance of developing an educator digital mindset that is proactive, rather than reactive; and characterised by particular behaviours and attitudes that are agile, collaborative, curious, and "tech savvy". Finally, relational learning and the importance of a supportive online CoP can be useful not only to FAVE teachers and trainers, but also to other educational and training organisations promoting remote and online digital teaching and collaborations. 2 Conclusions: Challenges to developing an educator digital mindset and an identity as a digital practitioner arose from unexpected and difficult 'online' workplace relationships and demands, in addition to the unexpected impacts on boundary management between work-life and home-life. When the unexamined assumptions and frames of reference were brought into question, they resulted in disorienting dilemmas. The online supportive CoP relationships provided a safe space where critical reflection and dialogue could occur. Current understandings of the influence of ERO teaching on practitioner engagement with digital technologies, provide a contextualized understanding of how to support and facilitate the creation and development of these educator digital mindsets. This research has implications for developing digital teaching-learning environments (dTLEs) in FAVE programmes. Further research is required to provide a deeper understanding of how FAVE educators engage with digital technologies and develop an educator digital mind-set.
... He further cited that digital exclusion has the potential to exacerbate social inequalities in the era of technology enhanced learning. Van Dijk (2005) discovered that there is a sequential relationship between social inequality and unequal access to digital technologies. ICT exclusion follows from other social dimensions of exclusion which in many cases are structural. ...
The covid pandemic has been marked by negative outcomes locally, regionally and globally. The sudden closure of institutions of learning, copious teaching and learning dynamics emerged giving rise to dire demand for blended learning. The study explores the intersection of gender, socio-economic status, disability as well as online learning and how this impacted on vulnerable learners’ access to quality education during the pandemic and its aftermath. The paper was framed within the exclusion and social justice theoretical frameworks. The design was phenomenological, focusing on the lived experiences of vulnerable female, orphans, those living with disabilities and learners from low socio-economic status. Midlands State University and the vulnerable groups were purposively sampled. Key university informants were officers from information and technology services, the library, Quality Assurance and Professional Development, Disability Resource Centre, student affairs division respectively giving a total of 5 key informants. Focus group discussions were held with 6 orphans from child headed households, 5 male and 7 female students from low socio-economic status from both rural and urban areas and 14 students living with differing disabilities, giving a total of 32 participants. Selection from other vulnerable students beside those living with disabilities was based on voluntariness and the need for a gender matrix. Online teaching and learning created a digital access gap with the most vulnerable experiencing various types of exclusions. To achieve effective teaching and learning, the paper recommends inclusive pedagogies and sustainable learning frameworks that allow the achievement of SDG 4on equitable and inclusive education
... Incorporating communication into the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) model (Mishra, Koehler, & Kereluik, 2009) with Resources and Appropriation Theory (van Dijk, 2005) and Barnlund's Transactional Model (Barnlund, 1970) offers a holistic understanding of technology use in education. TPACK emphasizes the need for educators to comprehensively understand content, pedagogy, and technology, highlighting the significance of communication in conveying complex concepts and facilitating learning experiences. ...
This qualitative study examines the challenges faced by B40 Malaysian students during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on online learning. Key challenges include digital device access, internet connectivity, and communication barriers. By integrating communication into the TPACK model, the study offers a holistic view of technology in education. The ETIC Model, combining TPACK, Resources and Appropriation Theory, and Barnlund's Transactional Model, provides a systematic approach to enhance technology integration, address digital inequalities, and create inclusive learning environments.
... Access disparities are a central element of the digital divide, marking the boundary between the 'digital haves' and the 'digital have-nots'. Van Dijk's (2005) study reveals the unequal distribution of digital infrastructure, with wealthy urban centers enjoying easy access to high-speed Internet connectivity, while rural and underserved areas are more likely to be poorly served. Such geographical disparities exacerbate social inequalities and deprive marginalized communities of access to basic education (Cruz-Jesus et al., 2016). ...
This study explores the evolution and challenges of the digital divide in online education, intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic's shift toward digital learning environments. A systematic literature review was conducted using three databases: Web of Science, Scopus, and the Education Resources Information Centre. The review focuses on identifying research designs, aims, and barriers within the literature from 2013 to 2023, highlighting the impact of the digital divide on access to educational technologies and digital literacy. A total of twenty-two articles were included in the dataset. The review reveals that despite advancements in online education technologies, significant disparities persist in access, digital skills, and educational outcomes, particularly affecting marginalized communities in both urban and rural settings. The study underscores the necessity for enhanced infrastructure, targeted educational policies, and inclusive teaching practices to bridge these gaps. Recommendations are provided for future research directions and practical implementations to mitigate the digital divide's impact on educational equity.
The COVID-19 pandemic affected the lives of citizens globally. The impact of the pandemic was felt in both developing and developed countries. The aim of this paper was to examine the efficiency of new technologies in various aspects of human interaction to promote and sustain digitalisation to mitigate the pandemic's impact on Africa's present and future. The digital divide theory informed the study. Through documentary search, the researchers drew certain country-specific characteristics and experiences that can influence the effective use of technology in Africa‟s COVID-19 recovery trajectory. Thus, a narrative literature review was conducted to critically analyse previous studies on digitalisation in Africa‟s pre- and post-COVID-19 recovery path. This study used secondary data sources to identify the emerging threats, opportunities, and interventions to mitigate digital transformation problems in the African region. The paper argued that digital technology has greatly influenced the socio-economic aspect of people‟s lives during the pandemic, creating both opportunities and challenges. Empirical evidence confirms that marginalised African societies risk being left behind due to limited access to digitalisation. Therefore, governments must prioritise and expand digitalisation efforts to promote socio-economic transformation in the region.
Purpose
The gig economy has rapidly grown due to economic trends supporting flexible work and digital platforms, leading to increased demand for corporate gig workers. Although numerous studies have explored various aspects of the gig economy, research on the motivational and engagement factors of gig workers remains relatively rare. This study aims to investigate the factors that influence corporate gig workers’ motivation and engagement in the geographical context of Sri Lanka. Specifically, job autonomy, remuneration, social connection and technology and investigated here.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative study, employing a deductive research approach, was conducted with data gathered through a survey designed using a five-point Likert scale questionnaire. Respondents were conveniently selected from Sri Lankan corporate gig workers. A total of 397 responses were obtained through a snowball sampling technique. The collected data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling, providing a robust framework for evaluating the hypothesized relationships.
Findings
The findings revealed that job autonomy, remuneration, social connection and technology significantly influence corporate gig worker motivation, whereas motivation significantly influences the engagement of corporate gig workers in Sri Lanka.
Research limitations/implications
This study faced common limitations. Due to challenges in identifying the framework for the population, a snowball sampling technique was employed. One key limitation is the study’s narrow focus on motivation factors within the Sri Lankan context, which may affect the generalizability of the findings. Additionally, the geographic focus and uneven sample distribution could limit the broader applicability of the conclusions. Future research should adopt a cross-cultural approach to explore the influence of social commerce adoption, enhancing the generalizability of the results.
Practical implications
A comprehensive understanding of the factors that influence the corporate gig worker motivation and engagement is provided, facilitating, the decision-makers to gain insight to enhance worker motivation and engagement by adapting strategies. This can lead to higher productivity and job satisfaction among gig workers.
Originality/value
Examination of the motivational and engagement factors specific to corporate gig workers in Sri Lanka, a context that has received limited attention in previous research. Also, it contributes to the existing literature by providing a deeper understanding of the gig economy and gig work, particularly in a non-Western setting.
Digital platforms are a central infrastructure that has dramatically changed our daily lives. Like any other urban infrastructure and amenity, the digital platform has a heterogeneous influence on social groups. Studies exploring the influence of the digital on the mundane tend to focus on users, their socioeconomic status and their digital skills. However, digitisation is not an exogenous force; rather, it relates to culture and place. The departure point of this article is to conceptualise the idea of neighbourhood in the digital age, which offers a path towards understanding the role of the digital in our daily lives in relation to places. The article starts by discussing the neighbourhood and digitisation, addressing gaps and links that connect these themes. This discussion is followed by presentation of a framework linking the material with the virtual in understanding neighbourhoods. This framework is based on gathering data on four key issues: spatial configuration, digital infrastructure, demographic profile and digital participation in a neighbourhood. Jointly, these four issues are viewed as the means to contextualise and expand the way we think about the interplay between infrastructures and the agency of the neighbourhood’s inhabitants.
Digital development in rural areas has become a driving force in increasing agricultural and rural economic productivity. However, the lack of digital communication competence among farmers remains a problem, causing market information asymmetry and an inability to effectively utilize information and communication technology (ICT) in the agricultural sector to increase business profits. Therefore, it is important to examine the use of ICT in the agricultural sector in 19- to 39-year-old age groups (or millennial farmers), as this generation is considered closest to digital technology. This study used a survey method with 345 millennial farmers in Bogor, Indonesia, and data were analyzed using partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results of this study indicate that digital communication competence, as reflected by motivation, knowledge, and digital skills, plays a crucial role in enhancing the performance of millennial farmers both directly and indirectly through ICT utilization. Farmers possessing superior digital communication competencies exhibit a greater inclination to employ technology for communication, information acquisition, idea dissemination, and marketing in their agricultural pursuits, resulting in more informed decision making and potentially improved productivity and profitability. The results contribute to the understanding of the role of digital communication competence and ICT utilization in enhancing farmers’ performance.
Objectives
Migrant and seasonal farmworkers work in rural areas where internet access may be limited. We assessed internet access, cost of access, and devices available to farmworkers through a statewide survey in North Carolina.
Methods
During the 2023 agricultural season, we surveyed 1034 migrant and seasonal farmworkers during routine outreach visits in partnership with community health workers employed by 8 community health centers or by nonprofit health service agencies serving farmworkers in North Carolina. We surveyed participants aged ≥18 years by using time–venue sampling and surveyed up to 5 farmworkers at migrant housing locations. We weighted participants to the total population of farmworkers living in surveyed housing and calculated frequencies and percentages of internet access, internet speed, internet cost, available internet devices, and awareness and use of the Affordable Connectivity Program—a program that was run from 2021 through May 31, 2024, by the Federal Communications Commission to make internet access more affordable in the United States. We assessed predictors of internet access and ability to use online videos by using regression models.
Results
Participants were predominantly Spanish-speaking men who lived in housing provided by farm owners. Among participants, 9.8% had internet connections with a cable or digital subscriber line, and 23.5% did not have consistent internet access. Most participants used cellular network internet (84.9%) and mobile phone devices (93.9%). Even among farmworkers who lived in their housing year-round, few had heard of (34.4%), applied to (4.8%), or used (2.0%) the Affordable Connectivity Program.
Conclusions
Interventions are needed to increase internet access and digital inclusion for migrant and seasonal farmworkers in North Carolina. Development of state and county broadband infrastructure should consider farmworker housing.
The article considers new forms of social inequality, interest in which emerged mainly in the late twentieth and early twenty-first century. Special attention is paid to the analysis of global, digital and environmental inequality. The reasons of sociological interest to these problems are considered, the most important of which are the technological progress, changes in the ways of assessing the level of social inequality, as well as the transformation of research optics and tools of cognition, including the emergence of artificial intelligence technologies.
The main characteristics of the new forms of social inequality, their interrelation, levels and measurement criteria are presented. The article describes several perspectives of studying global social inequality. In sociological literature, most of them are related to the transition from the study of the nation-state as a key unit of analysis to the study of global social space. The analysis of digital inequality and the problem of the social divide now appears as a combination of several levels of research and is related to the consideration of access to technology, possession of digital skills, and the life chances and opportunities. Environmental pollution and climate change have led to research interest in socio-environmental inequalities, which are related to the unequal distribution of environmental risks. Environmental neo-colonialism is examined in the context of analyzing environmental inequalities as a factor that rein forces social inequalities.
The article concludes that further sociological study of social inequality issues is necessary, analyzes the role of sociology in addressing these issues and actualizing the data.
The rapid digital transformation of society has intensified the need to develop general digital competence in the population, as it has become an essential requirement for participating in education, civil society, and the workforce. Digital competence has also become vital for benefiting from digitalized welfare services in rapidly digitalized societies such as Norway. Though the majority of citizens benefit from the increased accessibility and effectivity of the public sector as the result of digitalization, some life situations increase vulnerabilities in accessing welfare services. In this paper, we explore how the welfare service providers of youths not in education, employment, or training narrate the digital literacy of this group of youths. Drawing from an ecological and intersectional perspective on socio-digital inequalities, this paper operates under the premise that these service providers bear the responsibility of disrupting the cycle of socio-digital inequalities that youths might experience. This paper presents the results of a qualitative study conducted through seven individual and group interviews and two workshops with 20 welfare service providers. The findings shed light on how welfare service providers navigate the uncertainty surrounding the concept of digital literacy which is further challenged by the absence of guidelines—a lack that may inadvertently lead to new forms of exclusion and invisibility among youths.
To explore the rapid development of digital technology and its profound impact on human behavior and social functioning and to study the mechanisms by which digital technology and the social environment interact, a new branch of sociology—digital sociology—has emerged and rapidly entered a stage of vigorous development. This article briefly introduces digital sociology and outlines the research progress of digital sociology in six areas: labor economy and production, digital politics and power, social relations and interaction, body and self, social inequality, and methodological innovation. Based on this, the article compares digital sociology research in China and the West. The rapid development of digital technology in China provides a superb opportunity for sociology, and digital sociology has great potential for development in China.
Digital inequality scholarship has highlighted the importance of sociodemographic factors and internet experiences in how people use digital media in their lives. Some of this research has focused specifically on the adoption and use of social media, but much of this work has only investigated text-based platforms. Image-based sites such as Pinterest have largely been ignored in work about online participation inequalities. It remains unclear how existing findings about participation inequalities on text-based social media translate to image-based platforms. The present paper fills this gap by exploring differences in user engagement on Pinterest, one of the most popular social media platforms. The paper uses a mixed methods approach and analyzes both survey and interview data. This approach allows for a deeper understanding of the pipeline of online participation inequalities, a digital inequalities framework introduced by Shaw and Hargittai (2018). The survey data reveal that age, gender and internet skills strongly relate to participation on the platform. The interviews add more nuance by providing insights into reasons and motivations for Pinterest use as well as reasons for dropping out of the pipeline, beyond those identified in the survey. This mixed-methods approach allows insights into how participation barriers apply to image-based social media.
The digital transformation of higher education, driven by technological advancements and evolving societal needs, presents both significant opportunities and critical challenges. This study integrates the technology acceptance model (TAM), diffusion of innovations (DOI), comprehensive literature review, in‐depth case studies and empirical survey data to explore these dynamics. The findings reveal the potential of digital technologies—such as online platforms, adaptive learning tools and immersive technologies—to expand access, personalise learning and foster collaboration. However, the research also identifies major barriers, including the digital divide, faculty resistance and data privacy concerns. By combining qualitative thematic analysis and quantitative statistical analysis, this study underscores the importance of strategic planning, inclusive policies and ongoing professional development in maximising the benefits of digital education. The paper contributes to the field by offering actionable insights, theoretical implications and practical recommendations for institutions to implement adaptive pedagogical strategies, ensure equitable access to technology and build robust, secure digital learning environments.
The accelerating convergence of digitization and sustainability has given rise to the digital sustainability concept, emphasizing responsible and sustainable use of digital technologies to pursue a systemic sustainable development involving the triple dimension of economy, society, and environment. Despite the growing interest in digital sustainability, existing analyses remain fragmented and lack a holistic perspective on the multifaceted outcomes of digital transformation. This study aims to address this research gap by comprehensively investigating the impact of digital technologies on the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of digital development in European countries. By adopting a quantitative aggregative approach, this study constructs an index, the Digital Development Index (DDI), to measure and compare the three dimensions of digital sustainable development across the European countries (EU27). The index was based on 227 indicators from the Eurostat database. The results show advanced digital development in Western and Northern Europe, while disparities persist in Southern, Central, and Eastern European countries. In addition, correlation analysis shows that higher GDP per capita enables more effective digital development across the three dimensions, facilitating technology adoption, innovation, digital education, and fortifying digital foundations. Our study contributes to the literature by providing a new index to understand the factors influencing digital sustainability in the European context, highlighting established trends and dynamics. Furthermore, the paper offers multiple implications for managers and policymakers to identify the most appropriate policies and strategies for the joint development of the three spheres of sustainable development.
There is a growing body of literature on the demographic and socioeconomic distinctions between mobile-only and hybrid Internet users and how the two groups use the Internet differently. However, little is known about why people change their type of Internet access and the impact of this change. Relying on data from two waves of a nationally representative survey conducted in China, this study demonstrates that capital-enhancing Internet activities are positively correlated with the likelihood of switching from mobile-only access to hybrid access and negatively correlated with the likelihood of switching from hybrid access to mobile-only access. In addition, those who switch from mobile to hybrid access subsequently strengthen their capital-enhancing uses, thereby not only amplifying the divide between them and others who remain mobile-only but also creating a positive feedback loop. However, non-capital-enhancing uses, such as gaming, are irrelevant to changes in the type of access. It appears that mobile-only access has become a comparable substitute for computer-based Internet in terms of casual activities. However, for “serious” uses, a device divide still exists.
The COVID-19 pandemic has directly or indirectly impacted everyone around the globe. However, the pandemic and its long-term consequences have not been distributed evenly within societies. These disparities have in many cases intensified existing social and economic inequalities such as the uptake of novel digital technologies. This study investigates the influence of the pandemic on the acceptance of virtual reality (VR) hardware within the framework of the technology acceptance model (TAM) and the digital divide/inequality scholarship. A survey was designed to examine the perceived impact of COVID-19 on the potential adoption of VR hardware. Specifically, this study included variables related to perceived ease of using VR hardware (ease of use), perceived usefulness of VR hardware (usefulness), intention to use VR hardware (use intention), and intention to purchase VR hardware (purchase intention). The predictors included two digital divide variables (material access and VR experience) and two other variables (COVID-19 and demographic variables). A total of 298 participants were recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk. The results suggest that the perceived impacts of COVID-19 positively predicted participants’ perceived usefulness of VR hardware as well as their intention to use and purchase VR hardware.
This research investigates the digital divide in Nepal, a country witnessing rapid growth in digital adoption. Despite impressive internet penetration rates, disparities persist, rooted in socioeconomic factors such as income inequality, gender imbalances, educational disparities, and rural-urban distinctions. Drawing on international literature and employing logistic regression analysis on data from the 2022 National Demographic and Health Survey, the study reveals a significant correlation between socioeconomic status (SES) and internet access. Results indicate that individuals with higher SES have a 3.92 times greater likelihood of internet access. Additionally, gender disparities emerge, with females exhibiting higher access probabilities. Urban residents and those with higher education levels also show an increased likelihood of internet access. The findings highlight the persistent digital divide in Nepal and emphasize the need for targeted interventions to promote digital inclusivity. This research contributes to international discussions on digital disparities, offering insights into the multifaceted nature of the digital divide and urging for equitable digital opportunities.
The terms “digital skills”, “digital competences” and “digital literacy” in today’s form of use refl ect
the historical development of digital technology as well as the development of research of the skills,
competencies, and literacy in general. The concept of digital literacy has gone through three phases
of development and includes not only technical aspects of technology application, but also cognitive,
social, economic, and cultural ones. The authors also distinguish between levels of digital literacy,
from “digital competence”, through “digital use” to “digital transformation.” The aim of this paper
is to provide an overview of motivational and environmental factors of digital skills, competences
and literacy. Lower levels of digital literacy and skills have been found in people of lower socioeconomic status, lower education, older age, etc. These differences were explained by the concept
of “digital divide”, originally as unequal access to digital technology. In recent times, the gap in
access to digital technologies is closing, but differences in digital literacy and skills are still present.
Recent theories emphasize the difference in motivation to use technology between different groups,
and thus the difference in levels of digital literacy. Computer self-effi ciency, as the most frequently
researched motivating factor of digital skills, is associated with higher levels of digital skills and
greater use of digital technologies. But digital skills and the use of technology are often antecedents
of higher levels of computational self-effi cacy, and it is likely that the relationship between skills and
usage, on the one hand, and self-effi cacy, on the other, can be represented by a positive feedback
model. This is important to enable intervention to increase digital skills levels.
This paper re-examines Solow’s productivity paradox through the prism of the joint use of ICT tools. On the one hand, the joint use of ICT tools implies heterogeneous, hierarchical, and complementary skills and, on the other hand, constitutes a larger consumption network. This study uses data from the enterprise survey conducted by the World Bank on a representative sample of 361 Cameroonian firms to re-examine this productivity paradox. These data have the advantage of providing information on the characteristics and productivity of firms, as well as on the different types of ICT used. Methodologically, the study uses a Tobit model with instrumental variables to take account of ICT endogeneity problems and the truncated, censored nature of our productivity measure. The main results suggest that (i) the use of a single ICT tool (mobile money, website, or email) has a positive but insignificant effect on worker productivity; (ii) the use of two or more of these tools (email-mobile money, email-website, mobile money-email-website) positively and significantly affects worker productivity, by 5.881, 6.189, and 8.881 points, respectively; (iii) company size, sector of activity, and previous productivity positively and significantly affect labor productivity. This study argues in favor of the joint use of ICT tools requiring different, complementary, and prioritized skills in order to significantly increase productivity. Specifically, it is in the interests of large companies and companies in the industrial and service sectors to mobilize several ICT tools requiring complementary skills.
Research on the digital divide in sub-Saharan education needs an overview of its conceptual developments and practices since the studies in the field of the digital divide emerged and were established around the mid-1990s. The present systematic literature review fills such a gap by using mixed methods to analyse three aspects of research on the theme and context. Considering a sample of 54 studies, the selected aspects to analyse were key representations (of regions, areas of education, and focused groups), general elements to influence the exclusion of digital education, and adopted research designs. Results led discussions concerning significant imbalanced representations of subjects, localisation of characteristics of the elements across regions, and hidden spots and limitations of research impact, potentially motivated by theory-ladenness. The present study intends to contribute to the development of digital divide studies contextualising sub-Saharan regions with comments based on thorough examinations of attainments and failures of previous endeavours, contributing to more successful future research as a consequence.
Much of the discussion about new technologies and social equality has focused on the oversimplified notion of a "digital divide." Technology and Social Inclusion moves beyond the limited view of haves and have-nots to analyze the different forms of access to information and communication technologies. Drawing on theory from political science, economics, sociology, psychology, communications, education, and linguistics, the book examines the ways in which differing access to technology contributes to social and economic stratification or inclusion. The book takes a global perspective, presenting case studies from developed and developing countries, including Brazil, China, Egypt, India, and the United States.
A central premise is that, in today's society, the ability to access, adapt, and create knowledge using information and communication technologies is critical to social inclusion. This focus on social inclusion shifts the discussion of the "digital divide" from gaps to be overcome by providing equipment to social development challenges to be addressed through the effective integration of technology into communities, institutions, and societies. What is most important is not so much the physical availability of computers and the Internet but rather people's ability to make use of those technologies to engage in meaningful social practices.
Research on and with digital technologies is everywhere today. This timely, authoritative Handbook explores the issues of rapid technological development, social change, and the ubiquity of computing technologies which have become an integrated part of people's everyday lives.
This is a comprehensive, up-to-date resource for the twenty-first century. It addresses the key aspects of research within the digital technology field and provides a clear framework for readers wanting to navigate the changeable currents of digital innovation.
Main themes include: Introduction to the field of contemporary digital technology research; New digital technologies: key characteristics and considerations; Research perspectives for digital technologies: theory and analysis; Environments and tools for digital research; Research challenges
Aimed at a social science audience, it will be of particular value for postgraduate students, researchers and ...
Most research on the Digital Divide focuses on recording the presence or absence, closure or widening of gaps in access and usage. Researchers who document trends in Internet usage gaps contribute valuable information to the field, but the binary nature of the arguments often avoids or blocks theoretical progress that could potentially explain the significant consequences of these gaps - most of which have been shown to be positive in the literature. Although some data support arguments that the gaps will resolve themselves, much available data shows that some significant gaps are worsening. Several communication theories, including Diffusion of Innovations, the Increasing Knowledge Gap and Structuration Theory and its variants, are applied to the issue of the Digital Divide in an attempt to provide researchers with a useful guide to understanding the implications of the gaps which are widely known to persist. Rather than endlessly debating the demographics of access and ownership, scholars should agree that some people are online and some are not, and concentrate future efforts on understanding the consequences of this difference.
This article introduces critical perspective into the discussion of the digital divide, which is commonly defined as the gap separating those individuals who have access to new forms of information technology from those who do not. The analysis is distinguished from other undertakings addressing this matter, insofar as it does not document the empirical problems of unequal access but considers the terminology, logical structure, and form that define and direct work on this important social and ethical issue. The investigation employs the tools of critical theory and targets extant texts, reports, and studies. In this way, the analysis does not dispute the basic facts gathered in recent empirical studies of computer usage and internet access. On the contrary, its purpose is to assist these and other endeavors by making evident their common starting point, stakes, and consequences.
Common beliefs about computerphobia were examined using meta-analytic techniques. Stringent screening criteria yielded 81 research reports with sample populations including college students, adults and business professionals, elementary/secondary students and teachers as well as postsecondary teachers. Results indicated that none of the six common beliefs characterizing the computerphobic represent reality. The computerphobic is equally likely to be a younger or older male or female. Although computerphobics tend to experience other types of anxiety (mathematics, test, state, trait), these anxieties account for little variance. Results indicated further that computer experience alone is not sufficient to eliminate computerphobia, but that psychological techniques have treated successfully these negative psychological reactions.
For a growing cohort of Americans Internet tools have become a significant conduit of their social life and work life. The surveys of the Pew Internet & American Life Project in year 2000 show that more than 52 million Americans went online each day and there are significant differences in use between men and women, young and old, those of different races and ethnic groups, and those of different socio-economic status. A user typology can be built around two variables: the length of time a person has used the Internet and the frequency with which she or he logs on from home. We contend that use of e-mail helps people build their social networks by extending and maintaining friend and family relationships.
There is widespread concern that the growth of the Internet is exacerbating inequalities between the information rich and poor. Digital Divide examines access and use of the Internet in 179 nations world-wide. A global divide is evident between industrialized and developing societies. A social divide is apparent between rich and poor within each nation. Within the online community, evidence for a democratic divide is emerging between those who do and do not use Internet resources to engage and participate in public life. Part I outlines the theoretical debate between cyber-optimists who see the Internet as the great leveler. Part II examines the virtual political system and the way that representative institutions have responded to new opportunities on the Internet. Part III analyzes how the public has responded to these opportunities in Europe and the United States and develops the civic engagement model to explain patterns of participation via the Internet.
A study of the impact of Internet use on American society, based on a series of nationally representative surveys conducted from 1995 to 2000.
Drawing on nationally representative telephone surveys conducted from 1995 to 2000, James Katz and Ronald Rice offer a rich and nuanced picture of Internet use in America. Using quantitative data, as well as case studies of Web sites, they explore the impact of the Internet on society from three perspectives: access to Internet technology (the digital divide), involvement with groups and communities through the Internet (social capital), and use of the Internet for social interaction and expression (identity). To provide a more comprehensive account of Internet use, the authors draw comparisons across media and include Internet nonusers and former users in their research.
The authors call their research the Syntopia Project to convey the Internet's role as one among a host of communication technologies as well as the synergy between people's online activities and their real-world lives. Their major finding is that Americans use the Internet as an extension and enhancement of their daily routines. Contrary to media sensationalism, the Internet is neither a utopia, liberating people to form a global egalitarian community, nor a dystopia-producing armies of disembodied, lonely individuals. Like any form of communication, it is as helpful or harmful as those who use it.
This section presents the third volume of Max Weber's fundamental work Economy and Society which has been translated into Russian for the first time. The third volume includes two works devoted to the sociology of law. The first, 'The Economy and Laws', discusses differences between sociological and juridical approaches to studies of social processes. It describes peculiarities of normative power arenas (orders) at different levels and demonstrates how they influence the economy. The second, 'Economy and Law' ('Sociology of Law'), reviews the evolution of law orders (primarily, the three "greatest systems of law" including Roman Law, Anglo-American Law, and European Continental Law) in the context of changes in the organization of economy and structures of dominancy. Law is considered an influential factor of the rationalization of social life which in turn is affected by a rationalized economy and social management. The Journal of Economic Sociology here publishes an excerpt from the chapter 'Law, Convention and Custom' in this third volume, which shows the role of the habitual in the formation of law; explains the importance of intuition and empathy for the emergence of new orders; and discusses the changeable borders between law, convention and custom. The translation is edited by Leonid Ionin and the chapter is published with the permission of HSE Publishing House. © 2018 National Research University Higher School of Economics. All rights reserved.
That there is a "digital divide"—which falls between those who have and can afford the latest in technological tools and those who have neither in our society—is indisputable. Virtual Inequality redefines the issue as it explores the cascades of that divide, which involve access, skill, political participation, as well as the obvious economics. Computer and Internet access are insufficient without the skill to use the technology, and economic opportunity and political participation provide primary justification for realizing that this inequality is a public problem and not simply a matter of private misfortune.
Defying those who say the divide is growing smaller, this volume, based on a unique national survey that includes data from over 1800 respondents in low-income communities, shows otherwise. In addition to demonstrating why disparities persist in such areas as technological abilities, the survey also shows that the digitally disadvantaged often share many of the same beliefs as their more privileged counterparts. African-Americans, for instance, are even more positive in their attitudes toward technology than whites are in many respects, contrary to conventional wisdom. The rigorous research on which the conclusions are based is presented accessibly and in an easy-to-follow manner.
Not content with analysis alone, nor the untangling of the complexities of policymaking, Virtual Inequality views the digital divide compassionately in its human dimensions and recommends a set of practical and common-sense policy strategies. Inequality, even in a virtual form this book reminds us, is unacceptable and a situation that society is compelled to address.
Although the knowledge gap hypothesis is often mentioned in connection with the social consequences of the Information Society, there is little discussion of its theoretical background or specific empirical evidence. Therefore, this article explores the theoretical potential of the knowledge gap perspective for Internet research and presents data based on two recent Internet surveys, which demonstrate a double digital divide. Access to the Internet in Switzerland is still dominated by well-educated, affluent, young males and between 1997 and 2000 the gap between those who do and those who do not have access widened not narrowed. Furthermore, there are gaps in the use of the Internet too. More educated people use the Internet more actively and their use is more information oriented, whereas the less educated seem to be interested particularly in the entertainment functions of the Internet.
Gender and Computers presents evidence that shows that girls and young women are being left behind on the road to information technology. This book not only documents the digital divide but also provides guideposts to overcoming it. Social psychological theories and data are brought to bear on understanding the societal and environmental roots of the divide. Remedies ranging from family dynamics to teacher-student interactions to the controversial question of the gender organization of schools and school systems are proposed. Gender and Computers: Understanding the Digital Divide: * considers the authors' original research as well as recently published work by other leading scholars; * documents that girls are at a marked disadvantage in their ability to learn about and profit from information technology in our educational system; * sets the problem of computer anxiety in a rich context of social psychological theories, including stereotype threat, self-fulfilling prophecy, social comparison and attribution theory; and * offers suggestions that parents, teachers, and school systems can implement to overcome the digital divide. The book is intended to appeal to students and researchers in the social and behavioral sciences, education, human factors, and computer science interested in gender differences in general, and in human-computer interaction, in particular. The authors' goal is to stimulate social scientists and educators to further research this topic to generate solutions to the problem. © 2003 by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. All rights reserved.
Systems as diverse as genetic networks or the World Wide Web are best described as networks with complex topology. A common property of many large networks is that the vertex connectivities follow a scale-free power-law distribution. This feature was found to be a consequence of two generic mech-anisms: (i) networks expand continuously by the addition of new vertices, and (ii) new vertices attach preferentially to sites that are already well connected. A model based on these two ingredients reproduces the observed stationary scale-free distributions, which indicates that the development of large networks is governed by robust self-organizing phenomena that go beyond the particulars of the individual systems.
According to the U.S. Department of Commerce Report "A Nation Online: How Americans are Expanding their Use of the Internet," computer ownership and Internet use are rapidly becoming more equally distributed across households in the United States. The authors of "A Nation Online" use two statistical arguments to support this claim: 1) annual rates of increase for computer and Internet use are increasing most quickly for poor households, and 2) "Gini" coefficients for inequality of computer use are decreasing. These analyses critique these arguments and show that patterns that the authors attribute to decreasing inequality are instead explained by two factors: 1) computer and Internet use is increasing, and 2) households with higher incomes began using computers and the Internet earlier than households with lower incomes. Reanalyzing these same data using odds ratios indicates that computer ownership and Internet use may actually be spreading less quickly among poorer households than among richer households. If current trends continue, poor households will eventually have the nearly universal levels of computer and Internet use currently seen among richer households, but this "catching-up" could take two decades.
The reward and communication systems of science are considered.
Despite the Internet's increasing importance, there is little social scientific work that addresses its diffusion. Our knowledge is especially limited with respect to the conditions that encourage its spread across nations. This paper takes a first step in explaining the differences in Internet connectivity among OECD countries. After examining the impact of economic indicators, human capital, institutional legal environment, and existing technological infrastructure, the empirical analyses show that economic wealth and telecommunications policy are the most salient predictors of a nation's Internet connectivity.
E‐mail has swept the communications and information world. Can it be made accessible to everyone? If so, at what cost? And what would be the personal and societal benefits? This article, which is the summary of the publication of the same title, looks at these issues and is used by permission of the authors and the Rand Corporation. Although the issues looked at are within the context of research in the USA, there are international implications, and also the conclusions may well apply in many countries worldwide. References in the article to various ‘Chapters’ are to chapters in the full publication, details of which will be found in the Media Reviews section of this journal.
De huidige opmars van de informatie- en communicatietechnologie heeft even ingrijpende gevolgen als de uitvinding van de stoommachine en van de electriciteit. Uitgangspunt van de auteur is dat het werk dat mensen doen niet alleen verandert als gevolg van de diffusie van nieuwe technologie, maar ook door de gelijktijdige verspreiding van ideeën over nieuwe productieconcepten en nieuwe vormen van personeelsmanagement.
Bridging the digital divide between information and technology haves and have-nots has waned from the top of the national policy agenda in the United States during a time in which the sunken investments of the 1990s need to be leveraged. A national information network now exists yet this infrastructure--largely hardware--needs to be continually modernized and parlayed with commitments to building human capacity, developing relevant content, and scaling socially beneficial technology applications, such as telemedicine, in order to optimize these initial multi-billion-dollar outlays. This article makes the case that sidestepping public-private initiatives aimed at accelerating digital opportunity is imprudent, given the mounting empirical evidence highlighting the payoffs of information and communications technologies, when properly integrated and applied, especially in enhancing the life chances of underserved Americans. Policy next steps should advance the goals of expanding universal service initiatives, including hastening broadband deployment to homes and learning institutions, and deepening programs which leverage the utility of the existing infrastructure, such as expanding human-capital development, producing relevant content, and innovating socially beneficial technology applications.
The debate about a digital divide between rural and urban America suggests that communities of place still influence how telecommunications and other advanced technologies are used. This article examines the utilization of email and the Web, based on a sample of 471 residents from four rural communities in Nebraska and Wisconsin, in which the study found nearly identical levels and patterns of use across the communities. The findings are discussed in terms of the two variations on the digital divide. The first is a digital divide between rural people at the same place, based on their location within networks of co-workers and friends, which in turn influences awareness, knowledge and eventual adoption of information technologies. The second divide is between rural communities that have growing economies and populations and those that are no growing, based on their locations relative to metropolitan areas and urban consumers. Policy implications and directions for future research designs on the adoption of information technology are also described.
Most studies of the digital divide are concerned with the simple criterion of access, usually in the convenient locale of one's home. That divide could be exacerbated by usage differences after such access has been achieved, however. This article takes advantage of usage data from the General Social Survey and other surveys to examine whether more highly educated respondents also have such advantages in usage processes after access has been achieved. Education has emerged from the NTIA and other national surveys as a more important multivariate predictor than income. Using a framework developed by DiMaggio and Hargittai (2001), it is found that college-educated respondents possess clear advantages over high-school educated respondents in using the Internet to derive occupational, educational and other benefits. The clearest advantage appears in terms of the types of sites visited, uses made and political discussion. Here, multivariate evidence shows that education—and occasionally income, age and marital status—is associated with consistently more long-term uses related to enhanced life chances via work, education, health or political participation; education is also related to less use for simple, short-term, entertainment or personal purposes. The advantages to the college educated are also evident in their keeping in contact with a wider range of friends and relatives, particularly by email. On the other hand, in several areas (e.g. search strategies employed; receiving assistance from relatives) little gap by education exists.
Much is being written about computer anxiety and what to do about it. Little of what is written is supported by research. Research suggests that there is a relationship between computer anxiety and past computer experience. Research also suggests that there is some relationship between gender and computer anxiety, but this area has not been sufficiently examined to clearly define the relationship. The same holds true for the relationship between computer anxiety and age. Other relationships have been explored, with little in the way of clear helpful results. Beyond experience with computers, little is known about what to do to mediate computer anxiety. A model of the development of computer anxiety would be helpful in guiding future research.
The cybercafé is located as an innovative site of e-access emerging in the 1990s. Accounts of its novelty are reviewed. Its distinctiveness as a site linking the `real' and the `virtual' is theorized in terms of social networks and Foucault's concept of heterotopia. The growth and nature of cybercafés in the UK are investigated using data from a number of surveys. The detailed practices of a sample of cybercafés are examined using data from on-site interviews and observations. It is shown that the properties of a heterotopia are expressed in cybercafés, but to differing degrees explained by contrasting types of boundary-spanning practice. It argued that this analysis has implications for the future management and facilitation of e-access in cybercafés.
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T elecommunications companies, entrepre-neurs, and policymakers have regarded rural and poor markets with some combination of too-complex-to-serve and not-interesting-enough (politically or economically) to be worthy of sustained attention. But times, and technologies, have changed, leaving what have been perceived as backwaters poised to become significant growth areas in the next decades. Stakeholders are beginning to recognize the political and economic significance of the more than half of the world's popu-lation that lives in largely untapped rural markets. Governments and nongovernmental organizations are increasingly concerned with addressing economic development goals and stability, stubborn deficits in rural health and learning, urban migration, environmental degradation, and other related trends. The private sector craves new consumers, producers, ideas, and synergies in our rapidly globalizing environment. What most have yet to understand, however, are the tremendous opportu-nities to address these challenges through new information and information communication technologies (ICTs). Increasingly powerful, flexible, and economical, ICTs present staggering new opportunities for social and economic integration. Achieving the promise of ICTs does not require sacrifice on the part of busi-ness, government, or civil society, but it does demand their vision, cooperation, and action to create the environment and mechanisms necessary for ICTs to flourish in the rural areas of the developing world. One force necessary, albeit insufficient, for the establishment of pervasive and sustainable readiness for the Networked World, especially in developing and rural areas, is the market. It is commonly assumed that effective rural ICT access requires economic subsidy and financial loss; however, ICTs should be economically viable if they are to gain wide, robust, and long-lived usage. While the path to realizing such economics will vary across countries, settings, cultures, and technologies, we consider one critical issue: Internet for rural regions of devel-oping nations. In researching and studying the economic self-sustainability of the Internet in rural areas (particularly in India), we have iden-tified some criteria for success, something of a laundry list. This list suggests that there are at least six broad categories,
