The Racial Gap in Home Computer Ownership and High-Speed Internet Access

computerAccess to information is extremely important in today’s society. Those that have it are better able to compete in the job market or in gaining access to higher education.

A new report from the U.S. Census Bureau finds a persistent racial digital divide. The data shows that 66.3 percent of African America households have a desktop or laptop computer. More than 81 percent of White households have a desktop or laptop computer.

The report shows that 58.9 percent of Black households have a handheld computer. Here the racial gap is much smaller. Some 63.4 percent of White households have a handheld computer.

Just over 60 percent of African American households have high-speed internet access. For White households the figure is 76.2 percent.

Previous research has shown than African Americans are more likely than Whites to use smartphones and in many cases this is their only access point to the Internet. But computer internet access in the home is viewed as more beneficial for studying, completing homework, applying for jobs, and searching for the right college or university to attend.

The new Census report, Computer and Internet Use in the United States: 2013, may be downloaded by clicking here.

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2 COMMENTS

  1. Dear JBHE,

    This news article is very disingenuous because it only compared the Black community to the White community as if that’s the normative standard. I am most certain the Census Bureau did have similar data for the Asian and Latino community. Yet, you somehow failed to include this important body of information. My point is; how is it possible for so-called educated Blacks continue to use the White community as the standard bearer in higher education which is most unfortunate. For example, Asian students(not all) in higher education are out performing White students across the board, yet, I don’t recall scores of White scholars incessantly writing about how White college students are not “measuring up” with their Asian counterparts. You know why? White academicians want to make sure they are viewed and referred to as the normative standard. Unfortunately; when you have entirely too many degree holding Blacks who have been intellectually engineered to repeat these untruths, as shown in this article.

    • Very well stated Michael and many of our so-called educated alleged Black scholars suffer from what I call the Post Traumatic Stress Slave Syndrome. They invariably always put and place white standards of culture and values above that of that of any other demographic in the United States.

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