Cell Phones and the Digital Divide

The cell phone is fast becoming the personal computer of the next generation. They are cheaper than even marginally-loaded laptops and come with high speed internet access built in. Mobile devices are now supplementing and replacing computers for accessing the Internet as well as engaging in multiple modes of communication. While having one cell phone is negatively correlated with other technology indicators, it is positively correlated with percentage of Latino, African American, and Native American populations.

In the report brief on Assessing the Geography of the Digital Divide in California, they discuss how the pattern of access to cell phones is of particular importance to those concerned with the digital divide. It becomes crucial that policies regarding the expansion and access to technologies include full consideration of how we may increase access to cell phones and smart phones.

We have seen the trend  across the globe of impoverished people empowering themselves through the power of a hand-held communication device. For some, they can have a much stronger relationship with the mobile phone than a computer. For most, it may be the only gateway to telephony or the Internet.

To learn more, please read the brief.