Research shows digital divide etched into US Net use

Posted on 29 Jul 2005 at 12:55

The latest research findings from Pew Internet highlight how teens use technology.

The survey, carried out in the States, suggests that the 87 per cent of teenagers (those between 12 and 17) use the Internet, which is up by a quarter since a similar survey four years ago. And of those online, 51 per cent enjoy a broadband connection.

But it's not all bright shiny futures for high-tech-aware young adults. A digital divide is highlighted by Pew, which states that those teens who remain offline - about three million people - are clearly defined by lower levels of income and limited access to technology. They are also, according to the report, disproportionately likely to be African-American.

This contrasts with the findings that nearly all teens in households earning more than $75,000 per year are online, mostly with high-speed connections.

For those who are online, Pew reports a large increase in online gaming and shopping. Specifically, 81 per cent of teenagers with Internet access play games online, which is 52 per cent higher than from a similar study four years ago. And 43 per cent have made purchases online, which is an increase of 71 per cent.

According to the report, only 45 per cent of teens have their own mobile phones - indicating that the texting phenomenum has yet to take off in the US - but many own several devices that can connect to the Internet.

'Increasing numbers of teenagers live in a world of nearly ubiquitous computing and communication technologies that they can access at will,' said the co-author of the report and Pew's Senior Research Specialist, Amanda Lenhart. 'More and more teens go online frequently and from a wider array of places. They take ever-greater advantage of this new technology ecology by mastering features like instant messaging and phone-text messaging on their tethered and mobile computing devices.'

But despite their familiarity with Internet technologies, an interesting finding is that email is losing its favour among the means by which the youth communicate with each other. It has been supplanted by texting and instant messaging (IM), according to Pew.

In focus groups, teens declared that email was increasingly seen as a tool for communicating with adults, such as teachers, while IM is the preferred mode for everyday conversations with friends.

The survey was carried out between October and November 2004, among a sample of 1,100 parent-child pairs.

The Pew Internet & American Life Project produces reports on the impact of the Internet in the USA on children, families, the work place and general social matters.

Earlier in July it produced a report on the impact of spyware - Spyware casts lengthening shadow over Net usage - and only last week covered how technology terms were leading to increasing confusion.

What are your thoughts on the latest findings? Is it surprising that teenagers love texting? Leave a comment via the link below.

Author: Alun Williams