Second class netizens: Race and the emerging mobile internet underclass

An important question to pose as digital divide challenges evolve is the extent to which mobile devices close gaps in Internet access among demographic groups. Race has traditionally been a prominent dimension of the digital divide, with African Americans and Latinos consistently demonstrating lower levels of Internet access than Whites (NTIA, 2011). These disparities are of particular significance given the centrality of Internet access and usage to full and effective participation in economic, political, and cultural life. For this reason, the digital divide has been described as “one of the most important civil rights issues facing our modern information economy” (Carvin, 2000, p. 56).

Duke Scholars

Author Philip Michael Napoli Sanford School of Public Policy