Persisting Digital Inequality g g q y Eszter Hargittai Associate Professor, Communication Studies Department Northwestern University & Fellow, Berkman Center for Internet & Society Harvard University www.eszter.com @eszter gplus.to/ eszter Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University
Eszter xkcd.com/435 Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University
Central Research Question: Who benefits most Who benefits most from their digital media uses? Social Mobility vs Social Reproduction Do ICT reduce or contribute to social inequality? Mere connectivity Mere connectivity Effective, efficient uses Effective efficient uses Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University
As we re ne w o ur sc ho o ls and highways, we’ll also r enew our highway . I highway . I t is unac c e ptable that the U t is unac c e ptable that the U nite d nite d infor infor mation super mation super State s ranks 15th in the wo rld in bro adband ado ptio n. He re , in the c o untry that inve nte d the inte rne t, ever y child should have the chance to get online , and the y’ll ge t that c hanc e whe n I ’m Pre side nt – be c ause that’s ho w we ’ll stre ngthe n Ame ric a’s c o mpe titive ne ss in the wo rld. December 16, 2008 December 6, 2008 Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University
Overall Framework $ $ Context Context The image cannot be displayed. Your computer may not have enough memory to open the image, or the image may have been corrupted. Restart your computer, and then open the file again. If the red x still appears, you may have to delete the image and then insert it again. The image cannot be displayed. Your computer may not have enough memory to open the image, or the image may have been corrupted. Restart your computer, and then open the file again. If the red x still appears, you may have to delete the image and then insert it again. Socio ‐ Economic Status Technical Social The image cannot be displayed. Your computer may not have enough memory to open the image, or the image may have been corrupted. Restart your computer, and then open the file again. If the red x still appears, you may have to delete the image and then insert it again. The image cannot be displayed. Your computer may not have enough memory to open the image, or the image may have been corrupted. Restart your computer, and then open the file again. If the red x still appears, you may have to delete the image and then insert it again. The image cannot be displayed. Your computer may not have enough memory to open the image, or the image may have been corrupted. Restart your computer, and then open the file again. If the red x still appears, you may have to delete the image and then insert it again. Skill Skill T Types of uses f Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University
Overall Framework $ $ Academic Context Context The image cannot be displayed. Your computer may not have enough memory to open the image, or the image may have been corrupted. Restart your computer, and then open the file again. If the red x still appears, you may have to delete the image and then insert it again. Achievement/ The image cannot be displayed. Your computer may not have enough memory to open the image, or the image may have been corrupted. Restart your computer, and then open the file again. If the red x still appears, you may have to delete the image and then insert it again. Job Performance Productivity Socio ‐ Health and Economic Well ‐ Being Status Technical Social The image cannot be displayed. Your computer may not have enough memory to open the image, or the image may have been corrupted. Restart your computer, and then open the file again. If the red x still appears, you may have to delete the image and then insert it again. The image cannot be displayed. Your computer may not have enough memory to open the image, or the image may have been corrupted. Restart your computer, and then open the file again. If the red x still appears, you may have to delete the image and then insert it again. The image cannot be displayed. Your computer may not have enough memory to open the image, or the image may have been corrupted. Restart your computer, and then open the file again. If the red x still appears, you may have to delete the image and then insert it again. ? ? Skill Skill T Types of uses f Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University
Domains of skill • Awareness and understanding • Efficient information seeking • Credibility assessment • Credibility assessment Skill • Knowledge of privacy, security issues Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University
Do people’s skills differ in using the Internet? h What explains differences in people’s online skills? p p How are skills related to How are skills related to differentiated Internet uses? What are the implications of differentiated uses? f diff ti t d ? Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University
Data on Internet uses • Very much • Very detailed Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University
Data on Internet uses • Very much little • Very detailed basic The Digital Data Paradox h l d Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University
Challenges of relying on log data • Becoming user of a service is not a random event event • People understand and use sites/services differently • Site usage is likely only one of many ways in g y y y y which people engage for a particular behavior Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University
Reasons for little comparable data on average users • Lack of established/universal terms • Moving target • Moving target • Rarely comparable across data sets y p Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University
Data: Surveys of Internet uses and skills US Map from Wikipedia f iki di Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University
Data: Surveys of Internet uses and skills US Map from Wikipedia f iki di Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University
Why the Average temperature: Feb: 28.2°F Mar: 39.6°F University of Illinois Chicago? University of Illinois, Chicago? Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University
Why the Average temperature: Feb: 28.2°F Mar: 39.6°F University of Illinois Chicago? University of Illinois, Chicago? Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University
Data & Methods • Students enrolled in the one Students enrolled in the one required course on campus (First ‐ Year Writing Program) • Paper/pencil survey February ‐ March, 2007 February March, 2007 February April, 2009 February ‐ April, 2009 1,060 first ‐ years 1,115 first ‐ years 82% response rate 82% response rate 80 5% response rate 80.5% response rate Wave 2 (same people as 2009) April ‐ July, 2010 April July, 0 0 505 45% response rate 45% response rate Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University
Sample descriptives (2009) 99% 18 ‐ 19 years old 41% male; 59% female 41% male; 59% female 47% neither parent has a college degree college degree Race & ethnicity: White 41% Asian/Asian American 22% Hispanic Hi i 24% 24% Black/African American 11% American Indian/Alaskan Native American Indian/Alaskan Native .5% 5% Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University
The Wired Generation (2009) 100% either own or have easy access to a laptop or desktop 98% have access to the Internet at home 95% had access to the Internet at home during 95% had access to the Internet at home during senior year in high school 70% t 70% started using the Internet regularly in middle t d i th I t t l l i iddl school or earlier On average, spend 17 hours on the Web weekly O d h h b kl (excluding email, chat and VoIP) 87% check email daily (the majority check several 87% h k il d il (th j it h k l times a day) Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University
Use of Facebook vs MySpace by Race/Ethnicity, 2007 For details, see: Hargittai, E. (2007) Whose Space? Differences among Users and Non-Users of Social Network Sites. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication . 13 (1).276-297. http://webuse.org/p/a21 Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University
Use of Facebook vs MySpace by Race/Ethnicity, 2009 Hargittai, E. (In Press). Open Doors, Closed Spaces? Differentiated Adoption of Social Network Sites by User Background. In Race After the Internet . Edited by Peter Chow-White and Lisa Nakamura. Routledge. Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University
Data more representative than may first appear Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University
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