Newswise — A new report suggests that there are gaps in Internet use and access in Chicago, but that there are opportunities for progress.
"Digital Excellence in Chicago: A City-Wide View," co-authored by Karen Mossberger of the University of Illinois at Chicago and researchers at the University of Iowa, found that 25 percent of all Chicagoans do not use the Internet. About 15 percent have only limited access.
"This study is the first in the country to show how neighborhoods in a city differ in use of technology and barriers to use of technology," said Mossberger, UIC associate professor of public administration.
The study is based on a telephone survey and analysis commissioned by the city of Chicago that tracked Internet use in each of the city's 77 communities.
"The data define the relevant gaps in technology use, so they provide a baseline for targeted efforts to bridge the digital divide in Chicago," Mossberger said.
Among the findings:
-Disparities between African Americans and whites were small in regard to overall use, but fewer African Americans have home access.
-Latinos lag behind both African Americans and whites in most aspects of Internet use. Only 39 percent of Spanish-speaking Latinos were Internet users, compared to 79 percent of English-speaking respondents.
-Both African-Americans and Latinos without Internet access at home are more likely than whites to cite costs as the main reason for not being online, rather than a lack of interest.
-One-third of the respondents reported using the Internet at public libraries. Those most likely to use the Internet at a library or community center are younger, better educated, low-income or African American.
Mossberger said as more information and services move online, the costs increase for those residents who are excluded, because the Internet has become "a critical resource for work, information, civic engagement, access to government services and health."
The full report is posted at http://egov.cityofchicago.org/city/webportal/home.do
UIC ranks among the nation's top 50 universities in federal research funding and is Chicago's largest university with 25,000 students, 12,000 faculty and staff, 15 colleges and the state's major public medical center. A hallmark of the campus is the Great Cities Commitment, through which UIC faculty, students and staff engage with community, corporate, foundation and government partners in hundreds of programs to improve the quality of life in metropolitan areas around the world.
For more information about UIC, please visit http://www.uic.edu
RSS