Socio-Economic Segregation
Socio-Economic Segregation
The “digital divide,” a common term for socio-economic segregation created by the Internet,
is a growing problem. [***J. Fallows, “The Other Divide,” The Industry Standard
10 January - 17 January 2000: 47.***] It involves the cost of acquiring Internet access,
the technical support to maintain it and the proper instructions to bring it into homes and
schools. The digital divide is, in large part, about education and training.
E-Fact 7.4
The digital divide extends far beyond the United States. For example, in Bangladesh a computer
costs approximately 8 years’ salary. By comparison, in the United States a computer
costs one month’s salary, on average. [***L. Kappelman, “Closing the Digital Divide,”
Information Week 8 May 2000: 262.***] 7.4
However, the inability to access the Internet is not limited to cost. Other circumstances
directly limit portions of the population. For example, approximately a quarter of U.S.
households do not own a credit card, a primary form of payment over the Web. Further,
approximately 18 million Americans receive food stamps, yet many of the major online
grocers do not accept food stamps as a form of payment. As a result, many e-businesses
lose potential customers. [***A. Lazarus, “Food Stamps Not Accepted Here,” The
Industry Standard 10 January - 17 January 2000: 39.***]
The U.S. Department of Commerce released “Falling Through the Net: Defining The
Digital Divide” in July, 1999. The report indicates that in 1998, households with incomes
of $75,000 or higher were 20 times more likely to have Internet access than those of lower
income. The divide also applies to certain minority groups, inner-city and rural areas as
opposed to more affluent neighborhoods. These numbers, when compared with those of
1997, indicate that the gap is increasing.
The impact of the digital divide is profound. The lack of Internet access and consequent
lack of network skills limit the number of applicants for the growing number of technical
positions in the United States. The inability for companies to fill these positions could
affect the growth of the economy.
Internet advocates suggest that the Internet does not differ greatly from the technological
advancements of the past. Electricity, the telephone and other inventions now widely
available, were, at one point, luxuries that few could afford. As technology advances, computers
and the cost of connecting to the Internet could become more commonplace. [***J.
Fallows, “The Other Divide,” The Industry Standard 10 January - 17 January 2000:
47.***]
Wirelesshtp1_07.fm Page 200 Tuesday, May 8, 2001 4:04 PM
Chapter 7 Legal and Social Issues; Web Accessibility 201
© Copyright 2001. Deitel & Associates, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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