Toward Understanding U.S. Rural-Urban Differences in Broadband Internet Adoption and Use

Author(s):  
Peter Stenberg ◽  
Mitchell Morehart

The Internet has become entrenched in the U.S. economy over the last 15 years;access and use of the Internet has increased for all regions of the United States, most types of households and work places, and all income groups. In this chapter we explore how access technologies may affect household on-line activity patterns and address some of the aspects that differentiate urban and rural household Internet use. Rural households are less likely than urban households in having broadband Internet access but this varies regionally across the country. Study suggests that broadband Internet access is no longer perceived a luxury, but as a necessity and that there is pent-up demand for broadband Internet access in rural areas.

Author(s):  
Sahima N.Vohra

In recent years, information and communication technology (ICT) has rapidly spread across the globe, along with increased market penetration and easy availability of economical smartphones and cell phones with both wired and nonwired connections to access the Internet; this leapfrogging in the Internet access is true even in the rural areas of the world's developing countries. This study explored the interplay between contextual and individual factors related to Internet adoption in isolated rural communities. By investigating 10 remote villages throughout Chile that received Internet access infrastructure in 2010–2011, we identified 3 areas in which contextual and individual factors are intertwined.1.Geogeaphical isolation,2. the communities' aging population also represented a strong challenge because they lack young people, a relevant technology socialization agent.3.Jon and economic. When the Internet has reached the vast majority of the population, isolated communities confront specific challenges that we need to consider in policy?making decisions. As Internet access spreads and the level of penetration reaches high percentages in both developed and developing countries, the urban–rural digital gap remains strong (e.g., LaRose, Strover, Gregg, &Straubhaar, 2011; Rivera, Lima & Castillo 2014). Thus, many policy?making efforts have promoted online connection in rural areas. For example, in the United States, the Department of Agriculture has promoted broadband access programs such as the Sustainable Broadband Adoption Program (LaRose et al., 2012).


2015 ◽  
pp. 106-128
Author(s):  
Andrew C. Ward

The development and diffusion of inexpensive, reliable and easy to use public Internet access means that large portions of the U.S. and global populations now regularly communicate with one another. Will the increasing penetration of the Internet into the social and political lives of people facilitate Thomas Jefferson's vision of a world “founded on the primacy of individual liberty and a commitment to pluralism, diversity, and Community”? While many people believe that the answer to this question is “yes”, such affirmations often rest on adducing cases not theoretically linked to one another. In contrast, the present paper provides a broadly philosophical, conceptual analysis of how use of the Internet can lead to forms of “social tyranny” in which one or more elements of a community impose their own beliefs and interests on others in that community. For instance, dependence on Internet access and use for social action or pertinent information about social activities may lead to marginalization and exclusion for people whose Internet access or use is limited. Furthermore, the connectedness or mode of connectedness of groups or organizations may give them an unfair advantage disseminating and advocating the messages they deliver to members of the communities in which they exist. The conclusion is not that we should adopt attitudes and policies that are antithetical to the use of the Internet. Rather, using ideas from Dewey and Habermas, amongst others, the conclusion is that it is important to reflect broadly and critically on how use of the Internet can transform the character of the public domain and the deliberations about governance that occur within that domain.


Author(s):  
Myungsook Klassen ◽  
Russell Stockard Jr.

The issue of the underrepresentation of women in the information technology (IT) workforce has been the subject of a number of studies, and the gender gap was an issue when the digital divide dominated discourse about women’s and minority groups’ use of the Internet. However, a broader view is needed. That perspective would include the relation of women and IT in the communities in which they live as well as the larger society. The information society that has emerged includes the United States (U.S.) and the globalized economy of which it is an integral part. Women and minorities, such as African Americans and Latinos, are underrepresented in computer science (CS) and other IT positions in the U.S. In addition, while they are no longer numerically underrepresented in access to computers and the Internet, as of 2000 (Gorski, 2001), they continue to enjoy fewer benefits available through the medium than white boys and men. The following article explores the diversity within women from the perspectives of race, ethnicity and social class in North America, mainly the U.S. The technology gender and racial gap persists in education and in the IT workforce. A broader and deeper look at women’s positions in relation to the increasingly techno-centric society reveals that women may have reached equality in access, but not in academic study and job opportunities.


2011 ◽  
pp. 275-297 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danny Krouk ◽  
Bill Pitkin ◽  
Neil Richman

This verse comes from a poem read by one of the key figures in the development of the Internet at a recent symposium held to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the first successful transmission of digital bits from one computer to another, which ushered in the era of computer networks (Kaplan, September 6, 1999). Perhaps not unexpectedly, participants in this commemorative event reflected on the rapid development of networking and what we today call the Internet and predicted its ubiquity in everyday life, likening it to electricity. Obviously, however, we are not quite there yet. Recent data from the U.S. Department of Commerce suggest that, despite rapidly increasing rates of computer ownership and Internet access in the United States, there are still many people who have been left out of the information revolution. Researchers found that Internet access is highly correlated with income, education level and race, leading them to conclude: The information ‘haves’ have dramatically outpaced the information ‘have nots’ in their access to electronic services. As a result, the gap between these groups — the digital divide — has grown over time. (McConnaughey et al., 1999, p. 88)


Author(s):  
Barbara Gołębiewska ◽  
Joanna Stefańczyk ◽  
Ewa Jaska

The study assesses the use of social media by rural residents. The study was conducted in Lublin county in 2016. Residents of rural areas (especially farmers) are a social group perceived to be the least technologically developed, the latest in adopting innovations and least advanced in using electronic devices. However, in recent years, differences between city dwellers and rural area inhabitants have been decreasing. Until today, in Poland, not all residents of rural areas have telephones or internet access. The explanation could be that their work does not involve using a computer as in the case of, for example, an insurance agent, architect or journalist. It was found that differences in the category of household equipment involving the possession of a computer and access to the Internet are diminishing – the largest increase has been recorded in recent years in the scope of access to broadband Internet. In the study, a visible relationship between the use of social media and the education of respondents was observed.


2001 ◽  
Vol 2001 (2) ◽  
pp. 1077-1078
Author(s):  
Robert Pavia

ABSTRACT Spills seriously strain the normal abilities of organizations to gather, process, and distribute information. Added to the problems of supporting local multiagency decisions within the Unified Command (UC), there often are pressures from groups not directly involved in response operations and the public for rapid access to information about the spill. A UC can provide Command Post staff, official personnel not on-scene, and the public with specifically tailored information by establishing Incident Internet Operations. Incident-specific Internet sites can disseminate information about the response rapidly to the general public and specify target audiences inside and outside the Command Post. The Hazardous Materials Response Division, Office of Response and Restoration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration worked with the U.S. Coast Guard to successfully deploy an Incident Internet Operations site during the M/V New Carissa incident. Examples of Incident Internet Operations from the New Carissa incident and other spills are available for viewing on-line at http://www.incidentnews.gov.


Author(s):  
Courtney Deine-Jones

As more libraries offer patron access to the Internet and other on-line services, they must consider the needs of patrons with disabilities who will be using their Internet links either from the library or from remote sites. In planning and implementing technological improvements to optimize access for all patrons, librarians and information specialists must take into account questions of both physical and intellectual access to electronic information. This paper addresses these issues from a pragmatic perspective, reviewing available options and suggesting strategies for improving access for people with various disabilities.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 342-350
Author(s):  
Suparna Parwodiwiyono

Abstrak: Bagi generasi pasca milenial penggunaan internet sangat akrab tetapi dengan berbagai tujuan penggunaan. Penelitian ini ingin melihat keterkaitan penggunaan internet oleh penduduk yang sedang sekolah untuk kepentingan penyelesaian tugas sekolah di Indonesia untuk mendapatkan hasil belajar yang baik. Analisis berdasarkan data sekunder dari Survei Sosial Ekonomi Nasional tahun 2018. Hanya saja data yang didapatkan tidak simetris dengan adanya pencilan. Regresi kuantil digunakan untuk meminimumkan pengaruh dari pencilan yang ada. Penelitian mendapatkan hasil bahwa terdapat kaitan yang erat antara akses internet dari penduduk yang sedang sekolah dengan penyelesaian tugas sekolah.  Hasil regresi kuantil menunjukkan bahwa proporsi akses internet untuk penyelesaian tugas sekolah berbeda antar golongan proporsi penggunaan internet. Proporsi penggunaan internet yang tinggi akan digunakan untuk penyelesaian tugas sekolah yang lebih tinggi pula. Abstract: For the post millennial generation the use of the internet is very familiar but with various purposes of use. This study wants to look at the relationship between the use of the internet by residents who are currently in school for the sake of completing school work in Indonesia to get good learning outcomes. Analysis based on secondary data from the 2018 National Socio-Economic Survey. It's just that the data obtained is not symmetrical with outliers. Quantile regression is used to minimize the effect of outliers. The study found that there was a close relationship between internet access from residents who were in school and completion of school work. The quantile regression results show that the proportion of internet access for completing school work differs between groups of proportions of internet use. A high proportion of internet use will be used for completing higher school work.


Author(s):  
Taiara Maestro Calderon ◽  
Maria Elisa Wotzasek Cestari ◽  
Alyni Cristiny Dobkowski ◽  
Mariana Digieri Cavalheiro

Introduction: Pregnancy is a period of doubts and anxiety for most pregnant women. Objective: To evaluate the use of the Internet as a support tool to clarify doubts raised by women during pregnancy. Methods: An exploratory and descriptive study. Sample based on accidentalness, for 241 users who responded to the on-line form, built with Google Docs and made available in  one Blog. Results: 98% of pregnant women were between 19 and 39 years, 97% with schooling above 9 years, 99% had follow up with healthcare providers. Regarding the use of the Internet, 99% said they usually search for the pregnancy questions. The doubts consisted mostly in the search for information about the development of the baby, then how to deal with the discomforts of pregnancy, the changes in the woman’s body and feeding care. The choice of the sites, according to the interviewees, occurred mainly through the indication of social networks, friends and acquaintances. Regarding to the resolution of doubts, 97% reported that after the Internet search doubts were resolved. Conclusion: The Internet has been a tool of support for pregnant women who seek effective support on the World Wide Web to clarify their doubts. The significant standard for clarification and education reflected a customer that will search and possibly question the procedures and practices that are performed during prenatal care. However, the search for sites has been based on independent research guidance by health professionals, something which does not ensure the credibility of the sites surveyed by users.


There has been a neglect on the part of Western governments with focus on the U.S. to take seriously the internet campaign that ISIS has been waging since 2014 and the affective response that still draws citizens from across the world into their promise of a civilized, united nation for Muslims. It is possible that the West, even with a severely increased commitment to fighting the Islamic State, may be too late. This chapter will explore responses by Western governments including the United States to fight internet-enabled terrorism.


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