Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project
Pew Internet has released a report finding that income is the strongest predictor of whether, how often, and in what ways Americans use the web. The report adds nuance--and a few surprises--to existing research on America's digital divide. It even suggests the existence of a tipping point, where Internet use takes off at a certain income level.
A lot of this makes intuitive sense. After all, laptops and broadband cost money. But the Pew report finds that even among groups that own the necessary technology, less wealth equates to less (and less varied) Internet usage.
"Many of these households are not impoverished," the report's author, Jim Jansen, tells Fast Company. "Many do have the technology, but for variety of reasons do not engage in certain activities as frequently." It's predominantly the wealthy who take advantage of the benefits offered by the Web--even though it's the less wealthy who could use them more.
The report, an umbrella analysis of three Pew surveys conducted in 2009 and 2010, compares Internet use among American households in four different income brackets: less than $30,000 a year; $30,000-50,000; $50,000-75,000; and greater than $75,000. Respondents--more than 3,000 people participated--were asked a variety of questions about how often they used the Internet, and what sorts of services they took advantage of (such as email, online news, booking travel online, or health research).
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The relationship between money and Internet use is a real puzzle. Once a modestly middle-class family buys a computer and Internet access, why is it that they spend less time researching products online than their wealthier counterparts, given that they have a tighter budget than the ultra-wealthy?
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A lot of this makes intuitive sense. After all, laptops and broadband cost money. But the Pew report finds that even among groups that own the necessary technology, less wealth equates to less (and less varied) Internet usage.
"Many of these households are not impoverished," the report's author, Jim Jansen, tells Fast Company. "Many do have the technology, but for variety of reasons do not engage in certain activities as frequently." It's predominantly the wealthy who take advantage of the benefits offered by the Web--even though it's the less wealthy who could use them more.
The report, an umbrella analysis of three Pew surveys conducted in 2009 and 2010, compares Internet use among American households in four different income brackets: less than $30,000 a year; $30,000-50,000; $50,000-75,000; and greater than $75,000. Respondents--more than 3,000 people participated--were asked a variety of questions about how often they used the Internet, and what sorts of services they took advantage of (such as email, online news, booking travel online, or health research).
[...]
The relationship between money and Internet use is a real puzzle. Once a modestly middle-class family buys a computer and Internet access, why is it that they spend less time researching products online than their wealthier counterparts, given that they have a tighter budget than the ultra-wealthy?
Read More
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