Bridging The Digital Divide: Internet Adoption and Diffusion Among African Americans

• In Event: Black Digital Humanities: Technology and the Information Age along the Color Line

Abstract

ABSTRACT
According to Pew Research Center Survey (2014), are less likely to use the internet than whites; and trail white adoption rate by 7 percent (87% White vs. 80% African Americans) when it comes to overall internet use; and by 12 percent points in terms of home broadband adoption (74% of whites and 62% of African Americans have some sort of broadband connection at home)
At the same time, the authors argued that blacks and whites appear to have comparable rate of access particularly in smart phone, and cell phone. In the same vein, argued the study, the gap in internet use between African Americans and whites appears to widen more among demographic subgroups. For example, older African American population and those without college experience and training are significantly less likely to go online or have broadband service at home compared to whites with similar demographic profiles and backgrounds. In fact, the study observed that African Americans aged 65 and older have especially low adoption rates compared with whites. For example, 45% of African American seniors use the internet, and 30% enjoy broadband at home compared with 63% of white seniors who go online/ use the internet and 51% who are broadband adopters.
In contrast, the Pew study found that young college educated, and higher –income African Americans are just as likely as their white counterparts to use the internet and to have broadband service at home. 86% of African Americans aged 18 – 29 are home broadband adopters as are 88% of black college graduates and 91% of African Americans with annual household income of $75,000 or more. These figures in essence, argued the authors are not only above the national average for broadband adoption, but are identical to whites of similar ages incomes and educational levels.
This paper therefore, examines the following:
• Examine the nature and scope of digital divide in terms of internet adoption rates between Whites and African Americans
• Identify major factors that determine internet adoption and diffusion decisions of African Americans
• Analyze internet adoption theories
• Review academic/ empirical literature on the subject
• Identify major obstacles to internet adoption and diffusion in the African American community
• Make policy recommendations on how to improve access to internet technology and thus help narrow the digital gap and internet disparities between African Americans and other demographic groups

Author

• Ngozi Caleb Kamalu, Fayetteville State University