Annotated Bibliography

Cotten, S. R., and S. M. Jelenewicz. "A Disappearing Digital Divide Among College Students?: Peeling Away the Layers of the Digital Divide." Social Science Computer Review 24.4 (2006): 497-506. SAGE Journals. Web. <http://ssc.sagepub.com/content/24/4/497.abstract>. 

In this article, the researchers look into the digital divide in a university setting.  The question behind the study was:  does a digital divide exist at universities, since all university students all have access to the internet.  It turns out that it does not, but that there are differences in the ways that people of different races use the internet and differences in ways people with different amounts of digital experience use the internet.

Drori, Gili S., and Yonk S. Jang. "The Global Digital Divide: A Sociological Assessment of Trends and Causes." Social Science Computer Review 21.2 (2003): 144-61. SAGE Journals. Web. <http://ssc.sagepub.com/content/21/2/144.abstract>.

In this article, the authors chart the global digital divide between countries and blocks of countries.  They also assess the characteristics that contribute to the level of connectedness of different nations.  They compare certain social conditions in countries to the level of connectedness in these countries.  They found that it is the cultural features that cause the differences, not political or economical characteristics.

Fuchs, Christian. "The Role of Income Inequality in a Multivariate Cross-National Analysis of the Digital Divide." Social Science Computer Review 27.1 (2008): 41-58. SAGE Journals. Web. <http://ssc.sagepub.com/content/27/1/41.abstract>.

In this article, the author researches the relationship between income inequality and digital inequality and compares this to other factors that influence the digital divide.  The author used 11 variables and obtained data from 126 countries.  All the data is from the year 2005.  The author found that income inequality is a large influence on the digital divide.  He also found that the digital divide is caused by extremely complex factors.

Hoffman, Donna L., and Thomas P. Novak. "Bridging the Racial Divide on the Internet." Science 280.5362 (1998): 390-91. Science. Science. Web. <http://www.sciencemag.org/content/280/5362/390>.

In this article the authors present data about the differences in internet use between white Americans and African Americans in the United States.  They found that white people are significantly more likely to have a computer at home and slightly more likely to have one at work.  They also discuss possible causes of the disparity.

Horrigan, John. "Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project." Wireless Internet Use. Pew Research Center, 22 July 2009. Web. 13 Mar. 2013. <http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2009/12-Wireless-Internet-Use.aspx>.

The author discuss the results of a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project.  The survey found that 56% of American adults have access to wireless internet, and that the most frequent way to connect was via a laptop (39%).  It also found that the mobile internet use is on the rise.

Jones, Sydney, and Susannah Fox. "Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project." Generations Online in 2009. Pew Research Center, 28 Jan. 2009. Web. 13 Mar. 2013. <http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2009/Generations-Online-in-2009.aspx>.

In this report the author discuss the different generations (age groups) that are online.  It found that Generation X is most likely to bank, shop, and search for health information on the internet.  The report also goes into detail about email use, social network use, online shopping, online banking, video downloads, and travel information with regard to who uses them.  It also shows how broadband access has increased from 2005 to 2008 by age group.

Korgen, Kathleen, Patricia Odell, and Phyllis Schumacher. "Internet Use Among College Students: Are There Differences By Race/ethnicity?" Electronic Journal of Sociology (2001): n. pag. The Socjournal. Electronic Journal of Sociology, 2001. Web. 13 Mar. 2013. <http://www.sociology.org/content/vol005.003/korgen.html>. 

In this report the authors discuss how internet use varies in race, age, and time spent studying among college age students who all have access to the internet.   The report also includes analysis of students who have computers at home and those who don’t.  The study showed that the digital divide does exist in colleges and universities.

Lenhart, Amanda. "Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project." Who's Not Online. Pew Research Center, 21 Sept. 2000. Web. 13 Mar. 2013. <http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2000/Whos-Not-Online.aspx>.

In this report the author discuss those who are not online.  The study found that while there is a digital divide caused by income differences, there is also a large gap between young people who use the internet and older people who do not.  The report also discusses those who say they don’t want to get internet access, concerns of non-connected people about the internet, gender, race and ethnicity of those who are not connected, the rural lack of access, and those who were online and now are not.  Unfortunately only a few races are mentioned here, but it was enough.  This is the report that I used to compare to my data.  I was (and still am) extremely interested in equality on the internet. 

Min, Seong-Jae. "From the Digital Divide to the Democratic Divide: Internet Skills, Political Interest, and the Second-Level Digital Divide in Political Internet Use." Journal of Information Technology & Politics 7.1 (n.d.): 22-35. EbscoHost. Web. <http://0-search.ebscohost.com.sculib.scu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=47906552&site=ehost-live>. 

The author of this article discusses second level digital divides, divides that vary in internet use as opposed to internet access.  The author found that second level divides are caused by motivation and internet skills.  In addition the author discusses the differences between people who are actively political on the internet and those who are not.  The author found that those who were engaged in politics online tended to have more internet skills.

Rainie, Lee, Mary Madden, Angie Boyce, Amanda Lenhart, John Horrigan, Katherine Allen, and Erin O'Grady. "Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project." The Ever-Shifting Internet Population: A New Look at Internet Access and the Digital Divide. Pew Research Center, 16 Apr. 2003. Web. 13 Mar. 2013. <http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2003/The-EverShifting-Internet-Population-A-new-look-at-Internet-access-and-the-digital-divide.aspx>.

The authors of this report (which is from 2002, so it is kind of old) discuss the “fluidity of internet use,” which includes intermittent users, drop outs, and people who have access to the internet but do not use it.  The report shows that fear of lack of skill, cost, and physical access are the most influential factors in not using the internet.  The report is divided into seven sections: who’s not online, why people don’t go online, what offline people think about the internet, the intentions of offline people, discussion of the previous groups of offline people I mentioned earlier, other social factors related to being offline, internet access with regard to disabled people (physical access is a major problem for them).  The most notable finding was the fluidity of the internet I mentioned earlier.