The Use of Technology in Low-Income Communities

By Gabrielle Hammond

Recent research on Internet trends reveal that the power of the Internet is founded on its ability to deliver information and strong community networks to individuals anonymously -- regardless of location, race, age, gender, or other external factors. As the use of the Internet moves to a new phase - that of participation and decentralization of information - it becomes an even richer opportunity for disenfranchised and low-income people. If effectively used, the Internet may help balance the scales for individuals for whom community and access to information is neither readily available nor supportive to a decent quality of life.

There are some interesting trends about the usage of the Internet by low-income persons in the United States. Much of this data comes from recent national studies conducted by Pew Internet and American Life Project between 2001 - 2005, or compilations of the 2000 U.S. Census data as offered by various U.S. government agencies. While the data may seem outdated, these figures clearly point to a trend in increasing usage.

1. Use of Internet by Low-Income is Increasing.

In January 2005, Pew Internet and American Life Project noted 48% of persons earning less than $30,000 online. This has grown rapidly. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce's report A Nation Online in 2002, one out of four persons earning less than $15,000.00 annually were online. Additionally, in 2000, 40% of non-users believed they would go online.

2. A Majority of Low-Income Internet Users Access the Internet at Home.

While many service providers believe that most low-income users access an online computer at the library, according to a Pew Internet and American Life Project report in 2003, 45% of low-income online persons access it at home. An additional 25% access the Internet at work. In two separate surveys conducted by legal aid programs with low-income clients requesting legal representation, results indicated that last year 60% - 68% of clients in Alaska and Maryland have access to a computer with Internet access.

3. Low-Income Persons are MORE Likely to Use the Internet for Self-Betterment.

According to A Nation Online, there were three online activities that had higher percentages of use by low-income persons than by their upper income counterparts: Completing school assignments, Job Search, and Chat Rooms / Email Lists. This indicates that for low-income persons in need of advancement, the Internet is a powerful tool that can change their lives.

4. The Digital Divide is Leveled at Schools.

Although the disparity between who is online is still large when comparing upper and lower income usage at home, schools have played a role in leveling the usage among these same groups. For example, according to a study released in 2001 by the U.S. Department on Education: 91% of children in families earning more than $100,000 annually use a computer at home. Only 41% of children in families earning less than $25,000 have the ability. However, at school, these statistics are separated only by seven percentage points. 90% of children from families earning more than $100,000 use the computer at school, as compared to 83% of children from families earning less than $25,000.

5. Instant Messaging is a Tool for All Youth, and Used Widely by Low-Income Children.

In a Pew Internet and American Life Report on Online Pursuits in 2004, there were more IM users in lower education and lower income groups than in many other activities. 54% of children with a household income below $30,000 used Instant Messaging, compared to only 44% of children in households earning more than $75,000.

While the Internet is slowly becoming more used by a larger majority among low-income adults, low-income youth are fully adopting it into their lives. The next generation of adults will have a different expectation about how to participate and communicate with each other, relying heavily on the tools and trends of the Internet. If well-positioned, public interest providers can harness the potential of the Internet to offer networks, information, and services that deliver opportunities and change lives.

Resources:

1. Pew Internet and American Life Project: Digital Division: There are clear differences among those with broadband connections, dial-up connections, and no connections at all to the Internet. October 5, 2005. http://www.pewinternet.org/
2. Pew Internet and American Life Project: American's Online Pursuits: The changing picture of who's online and what they do. December 22, 2003. http://www.pewinternet.org/
3. Pew Internet and American Life Project: Rural Areas and the Internet. February 2004. http://www.pewinternet.org/
4. Pew Internet and American Life Project: Teens and Technology: Youth are Leading the Transition to a Fully Wired Nation. July 2005. http://www.pewinternet.org/
5. Pew Internet and American Life Project: Online Pursuits. 2004. http://www.pewinternet.org/
6. US Census Bureau, US Department of Commerce (Economics and Statistics Division): Computer and Internet Use in the United States: 2003. October 2003.
7. U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, National Telecommunications and Information Administration. A Nation Online. February 2002. http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/dn/nationonline_020502.htm
8. NCES (National Center for Education Statistics), US Department of Education. Computer and Internet Use by Children and Adolescents in 2001. October 2001. http://nces.ed.gov/