Digital disparities

The New York Times reported on a study by Common Sense Media [executive summary – pdf, full report – pdf], a large-scale study exploring young people’s use of a range of media and technology.

The research is called a ‘Media Use Census’ with a rich array of information about the media habits and preferences of Americans, aged 8 to 18 years old.

I found interest in the some of the same information that caught the attention of the NY Times. How does household income impact access to digital media and technology?

Teenagers in lower-income households have fewer desktop, laptop and tablet computers to use at home than their higher-income peers, according to a new study. And those disparities may influence more than how teenagers socialize, entertain themselves and apply for college or jobs.

According to the report, a fifth of teenagers in American lower-income households said they used computers less than once per month for homework – or not at all.

Computers in schools don’t help kids do their homework. Homework is done at home and today, that means that kids need access to a connected home computer to have a chance in school.

The author of the Common Sense Media report, Vicky Rideout, is quoted by the Times saying, “There’s a really big difference between trying to type an essay for school — or do research on the Internet — on a smartphone or using a computer.”

Is Canada gathering sufficient information to understand its own digital disparities? How many Canadian kids suffer from a digital homework gap?

The Trudeau government gets sworn in today. Dealing with the income based digital divide ranks high on my wish list for action.

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