Internet and Computer Usage by Low-Income Groups

Abstract

The gap between the usage of computers and the Internet by high-income and low-income groups is growing. This issue is one that will greatly affect the future of America. If people are unable to use the technology needed to be successful, then in a few years from now, this country could be at a disadvantage compared with others. There are many indicators that the problem is not one of lack of desire by the users, rather it is more an access and guidance problem. Many of these issues are addressed here in this paper.

Introduction

In the past few years, the Internet and World Wide Web have been gaining a lot in their popularity. In fact, according to a press release from the White House, access to the Internet, and computer technology in general, as well as the ability to use those effectively is increasing in its importance to allow higher participation in the social, political and economic life of this country[1]. Socio-economically wealthy groups are able to partake in this higher-level participation in the country because they can afford Internet access. But, as you move to lower socio-economicgroups, Internet access greatly decreases because it is not affordable. For instance, 58.9% of those making over $75,000 use the Internet from any location, whereas only 16% of those making between $5,000 and $10,000 access the Internet [3]. This is a particular problem because this is the group that potentially needs the Internet the most to improve their socio-economic position.

This paper will address some of the issues concerned with Internet usage by low-income groups of people. In particular I will discuss this problem in the context of the United States, such as how computer and Internet usage at schools can help and/or hurt the situation.

Background and Analysis

This section will begin by addressing the state of computer and Internet usage among low-income groups, both in the home and in the schools. Next will be a discussion of the proposed solutions by two government agencies. Lastly some studies will be discussed. First a study performed in the home, and then a set of studies performed in schools.

State of Computer and Internet Usage

I will start by discussing Internet usage among low-income groups in the United States. One unfortunate misconception is that people from this group do not have the mental ability or the desire to use a computer and the Internet in the same way that someone from a higher income group has. But, this simply is not true. One example comes from a field study called the Home Net Field Trial. In this study it was determined that low-income users have just as much desire for online services and for research as do high-income users. The biggest problem is getting them started [7].

Another place that this is evident is in schools in lower income areas. The problem is that when these students are given access to computers, which is not as common as it is in schools in higher income areas, the tasks that they are asked to perform have very little to do with their other studies and are many times remedial. The students spend little time in control of the computer, using it to in ways that expand their minds, rather they spend much time being controlled by the computer and doing only what they are told. One of the main reasons for this problem, is that the teachers know very little about computers, and therefore are unable to aid the students in their attempts to learn more [5]. Hornbeck observes technologies that allow for better individual instruction and allow access to the best and brightest people around the world are the ones that are most needed [8].

Government Initiatives

To deal with some of these problems, the Department of Commerce has launched a new initiative. The goal of this initiative is to bring more people up to the level of effectiveness in using technology. Included in this are proposals to ensure that all new teachers are trained in these new technologies so that they can be effective in passing this on to their students. Also proposed are tax incentives to the private sector for donation of equipment to schools for this purpose, and finding innovative ways to use the Internet [2]. In order to promote this, US Secretary of Commerce, William Daley, is going on a “Digital Divide” tour that is aimed at highlighting creative solutions to these problems and raising awareness [11]. A website has been created with much of this information collected [10].

In conjunction with this initiative, the Department of Education is pushing for all classrooms to be connected to the Internet. This will allow more students to take advantage of the Internet, and help developers learn what types of information and activities are beneficial to the largest group of people. The following table shows some statistics about Internet usage in schools. The interesting statistic is the one that breaks down computer usage by percentage of students on free or reduced lunch. This is the best indicator of low income vs. high income schools. Table taken from [6].

Field Studies

Another study was done that seems to back up the earlier notion that low-income users will use technology in the same way as those from higher income groups. Six low-income families were selected for a study to explore the worth of the Internet to these families. Each family was lent a computer system, including a high-speed modem and printer. They were also given point-to-point Internet connections and training on the mouse and keyboard. The goal of this study was to determine how much time they spend online, what sites they visited, what information they were looking for, and what problems they encountered. Surprisingly, or maybe not, they found the Internet quite useful. Some of the sites they explored concerned medicine and scholarship, where they searched for information that was formerly unavailable to them. By chatting and emailing they gained a feeling of community and empowerment [5].

In a report to the Office of Technology Assessment of the US Congress a few years prior to this study, Sherry Emery expressed some similar thoughts. She said that rural areas could greatly benefit from telecommunications and information technology. These technologies would allow them to overcome some of the barriers of distance that had separated them from the rest of the world economy. They would also have greater access to state of the art health-care and education [4]. This may seem unrelated, but many of the problems faced by rural areas are similar to those faced by low-income areas. The lack of connectedness to technology and information that would potentially help them grow out of their current situation are common to both groups.

Understanding now that the main problem is not lack of motivation or even lack of ability, it is mainly lack of encouragement and lack of access that holds back low-income areas from widespread computer usage. According to Hornbeck, the greatest obstacle faced by low-income students, is the low expectations placed on them [8]. One problem is the lack of computer and Internet usage in the home. Though in schools in low-income areas, access to computers and the Internet is present but limited, at many homes it is nonexistent.

There have been some programs put in place to address this issue. For many years, since the early 1980s schools in Houston, TX were working on this problem. They provided resources such as free software libraries, computer camps, training for parents and students, as well as loner computers. All these were aimed at closing the gap between high-income and low-income groups in the area of computer literacy [9].

Another interesting venture was undertaken by the city of Oakland. Inner city schools were connected via computer to suburban schools. This setup allowed the students from these different schools to interact, by sharing ideas and working on common projects. These experiences were motivating and enriching for the students as they were able to interact with their peers from different schools [9].

One more example is a project in Indiana where fourth-grade students are given a loaner computer and training for them and their parents. The students and parents then interact and communicate with teachers via telecommunication to find out about homework and to allow students to work together on projects after school hours [9]. These are just a few examples of how schools are trying to overcome the disadvantage many low-income students face when it comes to computers.

Another set of studies showed that poor reading and writing skills do not necessarily translate to poor cognitive skills. These studies were conducted in some inner-city high schools in Boston. Educational computer programs that explored some complex domains were used to explore the students ability to learn. The first domain that was explored was Physics, more specifically, relativity. Interestingly enough, students from inner city schools progressed as quickly through solving problems at different difficulty levels as those from suburban schools. The real discrepancy showed up when the students were asked specific questions about math, or given a post test that required some type of reading comprehension. In these cases, the suburban school students performed better. A second domain that was explored was that of genetics. Similar to the first domain, inner city and suburban students learned and progressed at similar rates through the programs. When the students were asked in verbal interviews a few weeks later, they were still able to explain the complex information they had discovered. But again, when it came to paper and pencil posttests, the inner city students were left behind [5].

This leads us to wonder about the problem of literacy and whether or not computers can be used as an aid. Only a small percentage of people who are illerterate are that way because of some physical deformity, most have just never been taught how to read. The problem is that learning to read is a very time consuming task that requires the guidance of someone trained in that field. Once a student gets beyond their early years of school, reading is rarely taught. This creates a need for adult literacy training. In order to bridge this gap, a computer system has been developed. Many, if not most, people who cannot read or write, can speak English. So, the idea behind this system was that if a computer could listen to someone speaking, and then provide them with a written version of what they just said, then the speaker could begin to learn how to read. This idea is still at the research stages, but it seems to offer a promising alternative to hiring a reading tutor which could be quite expensive, and potentially embarrassing to an adult [5].

Guidelines and Recommendations

Based on the above review of literature, there are some concrete suggestions that can be provided for practitioners wishing to develop systems that will help low-income groups be successful. The first suggestion is that practitioners should treat low-income users just the same as they would treat anyone else. The study discussed above showed that, when given the opportunity, the low-income households used the Internet in much the same was as the rest of the population does.

Secondly, in the context of schools, inner-city schools, students should be challenged by their tasks. These tasks could include things like allowing the students to be in control of the computer and use it to accomplish their goals. This is as opposed to the situation where the computer is in control and students are simply responding to instructions.

Lastly, as we have seen from the above studies, the biggest impediment to low-income users success is their lack of literacy. Practitioners should be careful not to equate illiteracy with lack of intelligence. More systems, such as the one described at the end of the last section, should be researched and developed so that users who wish to learn better reading skills can do so, without great expense or embarrassment.

Many of the issues that have arisen in this discussion can and should be addressed through public policy. It is clear that the design of systems as well as the policy issues are both important in order address this problem. However, because the design issues are the main focus of this paper, the policy issues will not be discuessed.

Conclusion

It seems to be clear that low-income users are not very different from high-income users. The main difference is lack of access to computers and to the Internet. When given the chance to succeed, many from low-income and inner-city areas use computers and the Internet in very similar ways, and perform equally well as their counterparts from higher-income area or suburban schools. The main problem that many low-income users face is their lack of literacy, not lack of intelligence or motivation. If systems and interfaces are constructed such that the users feel as thought they are in control rather than being controlled, this user group will be more successful and willing to try new things. Hopefully, in the future with some new systems such as the one described in this paper, this problem can be more effectively addressed.

References