Understanding Digital Inequalities in the Age of Social Media

Credit: Francella Ochillo, Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Science & International Affairs

Modern communication technologies shape human behavior, perception and attitudes simultaneously. In most places, it is common to see people engaged in their smartphones, laptops or tablets to check out what their family and friends or public figures are up to on social media, inform themselves on the latest news, binge-watch trending shows on streaming platforms, browse online stores to purchase clothing and other items, educate themselves on topics they are not knowledgeable about and communicate with others who are long distances away.

In other words, communication technologies are useful because of their power to give individuals access to information, people and places from around the world. Interdisciplinary research, however, shows that communication technologies can also be dangerous. For instance, these technologies result in issues such as digital inequality. Thus, it is essential that people understand these issues to help reduce their effects on society.

Often called the ‘digital divide,’ digital inequality is a complex concept that explains why and how digital media contributes to global inequities, including the knowledge gap, racial injustice and economic disparity. Digital media researchers assert that the prevalence of digital resources in well-funded schools, tech-savvy workplaces and middle to high-income households encourages people who are connected to these technologies to interact with them on a daily basis. People, however, who are not part of these schools, workplaces and incomes have little to no understanding of how to navigate digital media or are incapable of easily accessing it. This results in the digital divide. The digital divide is often separated into three levels to show how it contributes to global inequities. These levels focus on the lack of physical access to the Internet and digital media equipment, digital literacy and benefits from using digital media.

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Various studies show that marginalized people such as older adults and minority ethnic groups are the most impacted by the digital divide. Since older adults, whose ages are 65 and older, grew up in the world of old media (eg. print newspapers, radio, television), it is difficult for some of them to adjust to the consistent emergence of cutting-edge communication technology. For instance, some older adults do not have the Internet in their homes or are uninterested in buying modern communication technologies. As a result, it is harder for these older adults to connect with friends and loved ones who are far away or become quickly informed on local and world events that affect them.

Most people from minority ethnic groups, such as Black Americans, Latinx Americans and Native Americans, come from low-income backgrounds. Consequently, low-income people in these groups are unable to purchase communication technologies or occupy spaces that can provide the Internet. Meanwhile, middle to high-income people within these minority ethnic groups, who have frequent access to digital media, are often ignored outside of their communities online. This is reflected on social media platforms such as Twitter. For instance, Research shows that even though Black Americans tweet more than non-Black Americans, they produce the least social capital. Considering most Black Americans use social media as a digital enclave to inform online communities about racial injustice, media companies must acknowledge this digital inequality and develop solutions that amplify Black voices, which are oppressed on and offline.

Researchers, however, argue that the digital divide also impacts non-marginalized groups. Specifically, these scholars posit that people with constant access to digital media are unaware that algorithms influence their daily lives. Algorithms are invisible infrastructures that determine what information is relevant. Although algorithms are beneficial for businesses that want their content to reach certain target audiences, scholars argue that they can be manipulative and biased. For example, tech companies, such as Amazon and Facebook, often use algorithms to manipulate consumers into buying products. Meanwhile, professionals frequently rely on systems with algorithmic biases to make decisions about policing, criminal sentencing, employment, college admissions, insurance and social services, which perpetuate social inequalities.

So, where do we go from here? Well, the first and most important step is informing people who have access to digital media, and are skillful in how to use communication technologies, about the digital divide. Once these individuals gain an understanding of how digital media affects them and those without communication technologies, then practices can be implemented and legislation can be passed to overcome the pervasiveness of digital inequality in developed and developing countries.