The Second Digital Divide: The Effects of Ethnicity and Socioeconomic Status onStudent Technology Access and Use Outside the School Day

Abstract

The digital divide, the gap between the technology “haves” and “have-nots,” iswell documented in our nation’s homes, communities, and classrooms. Despite evidencethat the divide is shrinking, it is more likely that the divide has become even moreinsidious: a nation with a substantial reliance on online content and entire populationsthat still lack meaningful access. The digital divide can no longer be measured in simpleterms of computer ownership, and understanding the digital divide requires us tounderstand new devices, new users, and new ways to access content. This study analyzeddata from a recent student technology survey to determine whether ethnicity and incomeimpacted the frequency with which students had access to computers and the Internetoutside of school, and the likelihood that students owned mobile technology such aslaptops, smartphones, tablets, iPads, and netbooks.Nine research questions were used to guide the study, and 12 hypotheses weredesigned for statistical testing. Chi-square tests of equal percentages were conducted todetermine whether students owned computers and/or mobile technology and how oftenthey accessed the Internet. Chi-square tests of independence were conducted todetermine whether ethnicity or socioeconomic status (SES) impacted the likelihood that astudent would report owning one or more devices or accessing the Internet.The results of the hypothesis tests illustrate that minority and lower-SES studentsdid not have the same level of access to or ownership of computers, broadband Internet,or mobile laptops or tablets. Although minority students were as likely to own asmartphone as non-minority students, lower-SES students were less likely to own asmartphone than higher-SES students.