Impact of Digital Communication on Inequalities Flashcards
Age- Digital Generation Divide
39.6% internet users in Africa compared to 89.4% of internet users in North America according to internetworldstats.com
Age- Palmer
Toxic Parenting- argues parents rely on technology to keep their children occupied and entertained; children feel isolated and can’t relate to others.
Age- The Ofcom Report 2014:
83% of adults now go online, 62% of adults use a smartphone
Age- Garside
Generational differences; 6 year olds understand the internet more than adults, calls younger generation “digital natives”; as they grew up with the internet.
Age- Berry
researched older users of the internet and found that when explaining their reasons for not accessing the internet most of the participants explained that this was due to their lack of skills and/or lack of interest in doing so. Berry also found that many faced psychological barriers. Berry also suggested that there were some websites that have been specifically designed for older users. Finally Berry notes that 79% of households below state pension age have internet access, compared to only 37% of those above state pension age.
Class- Digital underclass
Those who have lower education and no employment appear to be those left behind in the growth of the internet
Class- Mertens and D’Haenens
studied digital divide in Brussels and found that those from lower social classes used the internet less and used it for entertainment rather than middle class who used it for knowledge; 79% w/c had game consoles compared to 65% m/c.
Class- Helsper
Children from poorer homes are becoming victims of a digital divide; children from better-off backgrounds were more likely to exploit the internet’s resources
Class- Marxists
Would criticise the digital divide as it encourages alienation and exploitation of the working class.
Gender- Patriarchal ideology
The Internet is designed by men for men.
Gender Socialisation / Stereotyping -
Gendered toy eg. Game consoles for boys so they are more likely to be equipped to deal with technology
Li and Kirkup-
Researched Chinese and British students and found that men are more likely to use email and chatrooms and were more likely to be more confident with their internet skills
Locality- Global digital divide
Global differences, primarily between developed and developing countries in regards to accessing the internet.
Locality- Internet world statistics website
39.6% internet users in Africa compared to 89.4% of internet users in North America according to internetworldstats.com
Locality- Lesaca
We should use technology specifically social media for counter-terrorism
