Digital Inequality Among States at an European Level

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 0-0
Keyword(s):  
Digital Divide ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Social Phenomenon ◽  
European Level ◽  
Digital Inequality ◽  
The Past ◽  
Digital Divides ◽  
Digital Skills ◽  
The Web

For the past twenty-five years, digital inequalities have been analyzed by several scholars. Many empirical studies have shaped a theoretical framework that identifies three main digital divides. However, most of the scientific contributions have been focusing on digital inequalities within countries, leaving inequalities among countries behind. This paper aims at analyzing what kind of digital inequalities emerge among European countries, focusing on the trends that characterized Europe in the last decade, to consider whether some of the main elements of the digital divide literature replicate at the continental level. The paper analyzes secondary data, mainly retrieved from Eurostat. It emerges that inequalities in digital skills and use of the Web persist in Europe, and some of the trends that scholars found among individuals are identifiable among countries as well. These findings contribute to the description of digital inequalities, a social phenomenon not so deeply studied at the continental level.

scholarly journals E-Government and Digital Inequality

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Stefano De Marco
Keyword(s):  
Digital Divide ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Digital Citizenship ◽  
Digital Inequality ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Third ◽  
Internet Users ◽  
Digital Divides ◽  
Digital Skills ◽  
Two Factors

The second level digital divide is generated by a combination of two factors. Firstly, the adoption of advantageous internet uses is strongly related to internet users’ material and educational resources. The higher the level of these resources, the higher the probability that advantageous internet uses will be adopted. Secondly, internet users’ offline resources have an influence on their digital skills. On the other hand, and according to the third level digital divide, advantageous internet use in not beneficial per se. In order to obtain tangible benefits from it, an adequate level of digital skills is required. In this paper, the Spanish case is used to study second and third level digital divides in relation to e-government. Results show the importance of educational and online resources, as well as higher levels of digital skills, in enhancing the probability of being able to use the internet to interact with the public administration and with government agencies. These results raise important questions in terms of digital citizenship and the democratic divide

The Empirics of the Digital Divide

2013 ◽  
pp. 294-312
Author(s):  
Wei-Min Hu ◽  
James E. Prieger
Keyword(s):  
Digital Divide ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Duration Analysis ◽  
Estimation Methods ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Technological Adoption ◽  
Digital Divides ◽  
Econometric Methodology ◽  
Catch Up ◽  
The U.S

Accurate measurement of digital divides is important for policy purposes. Empirical studies of broadband subscription gaps have largely used cross-sectional data, which cannot speak to the timing of technological adoption. Yet, the dynamics of a digital divide are important and deserve study. With the goal of improving our understanding of appropriate techniques for analyzing digital divides, we review econometric methodology and propose the use of duration analysis. We compare the performance of alternative estimation methods using a large dataset on DSL subscription in the U.S., paying particular attention to whether women, blacks, and Hispanics catch up to others in the broadband adoption race. We conclude that duration analysis best captures the dynamics of the broadband gaps and is a useful addition to the analytic tool box of digital divide researchers. Our results support the official collection of broadband statistics in panel form, where the same households are followed over time.

The Empirics of the Digital Divide

2010 ◽  
pp. 645-665 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei-Min Hu ◽  
James E. Prieger
Keyword(s):  
Digital Divide ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Duration Analysis ◽  
Estimation Methods ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Technological Adoption ◽  
Digital Divides ◽  
Econometric Methodology ◽  
Catch Up ◽  
The U.S

Accurate measurement of digital divides is important for policy purposes. Empirical studies of broadband subscription gaps have largely used cross-sectional data, which cannot speak to the timing of technological adoption. Yet, the dynamics of a digital divide are important and deserve study. With the goal of improving our understanding of appropriate techniques for analyzing digital divides, we review econometric methodology and propose the use of duration analysis. We compare the performance of alternative estimation methods using a large dataset on DSL subscription in the U.S., paying particular attention to whether women, blacks, and Hispanics catch up to others in the broadband adoption race. We conclude that duration analysis best captures the dynamics of the broadband gaps and is a useful addition to the analytic tool box of digital divide researchers. Our results support the official collection of broadband statistics in panel form, where the same households are followed over time.

scholarly journals The Digital Divide, Editura Polity Press, Cambridge, Regatul Unit, 2020. Jan van Dijk

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 244-248
Author(s):  
Mirela-Lăcrimioara Cosma
Keyword(s):  
Social Inequality ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Digital Inequality ◽  
Social Division ◽  
Media Technologies ◽  
Digital Devices ◽  
Level Ii ◽  
Digital Skills

The Digital Divide is the result of 25 years of research in the field of digital division. It summarizes the latest studies from access to digital devices (first level of the digital divide), to digital skills and use (level II) and the results/benefits of using or not using digital (level III). The aim of the paper is to clarify the latest concepts on digital inequality and its relationship with social division. Jan van Dijk presents the theories underlying the spread of technology in society and the main directions of approach in recent studies, according to which the use of media technologies reduces social inequality, increases social inequality or has no effect on it.

scholarly journals Exploring digital inequalities in Russia: an interregional comparative analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 767-786 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Gladkova ◽  
Massimo Ragnedda
Keyword(s):  
Digital Divide ◽  
Digital Literacy ◽  
Socioeconomic Development ◽  
Federal District ◽  
Russian Regions ◽  
Digital Government ◽  
Digital Inequality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Digital Divides ◽  
Federal Districts

PurposeThis paper contributes to the literature by proposing an analysis of digital inequalities in Russia that focuses on two aspects hitherto under explored: the interregionality (by comparing and contrasting eight federal districts) and the multidimensionality of digital inequalities (by taking into account the three levels of digital divide). Therefore, the aim is to address the phenomenon of digital divide in Russia by discussing the three levels of the digital divide (access / skills / benefits) in a comparative and interregional perspective.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses secondary data for its analysis, including both national (e.g. the total number of daily Internet users in Russia) and more regionalized data (related to particular federal districts of Russia). The choice of data sources was determined by an attempt to provide a detailed and multifaceted coverage of all three levels of the digital divide in Russia, which is not limited to the access problem only. For this purpose, we are using and re-elaborating various reports about the development of the Internet and ICTs in Russia prepared by national and international organizations to cover the first level of the digital divide. To shed light upon the second and third levels of the digital divide, we discuss digital literacy report (2018), the report on Internet openness index of Russian regions (2017) and the report on the digital life index of the Russian regions (2016). Finally, in the attempt to map out the key directions of the state policy aimed at decreasing digital inequality in Russia, on both federal and regional levels, we analyze the most important regional and national policy measures to foster digitalization such as the digital Russia program, the digital government program and the program of eliminating digital inequality in Russia.FindingsWe consider this study to be both a first exploration and a baseline of the three level digital divides in Russia. The paper shows how the level of socioeconomic development of the federal districts, as well as a number of objective factors (distance/isolation, urbanization level, availability of infrastructure and costs for building new infrastructure, etc.) have impact upon digitalization of the regions. As a result, several federal districts of Russia (Central, Northwestern, and, in a number of cases, Ural and Volga federal districts) more often than others take leading positions in rankings, in terms of degree of Internet penetration, audience numbers, use of e-services, etc. This correlation, however, is not universal as we will show, and some regions lacking behind in terms of access can be booming in terms of digital literacy or other factors, like it happened with the Far Eastern Federal district for example. All in all, our research showed that digital inequality in Russia is still on place and will require more time for complete elimination, even though current state and public initiatives are being actively developed.Originality/valueThis paper will bring to light meaningful insights into the three levels of digital divides in Russia. Based on a multilevel (three levels of digital divide) and multi-sectional approach (the interplay of different types of inequalities), this paper contributed to overall better understanding of the digital inequalities phenomenon in Russia. It also allowed for a comparative interregional perspective, which has been missing in most papers on digital inequalities in Russia so far.

scholarly journals The Impact of Digitalization on Social Inequality

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-108
Author(s):  
Maria A. Yudina
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Social Inequality ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Digital Economy ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Digital Inequality ◽  
Digital Skills ◽  
Methodological Approaches ◽  
The Impact

The Object of the Study. Modern theoretical and methodological approaches to the assessment of social inequality. The Subject of the Study. Internationally used indicators to assess the digital divide. The Purpose of the Study is analyzing of the theoretical and methodological approaches used in international practice to assess digital inequality in order to find ways to improve the indicators which currently are used in the Rossiyskaya Federatsiya. The Main Provisions of the Article. This author examines the following aspects of the impact of digitalization on Russian society: changes in the availability of information resources for different categories of the population caused by the use of ICT, differentiation in special skills for using ICT, and differences in the dynamics of changes in the quality and standard of living. The process of theoretical and methodological understanding of the phenomenon of digital inequality began in the second half of the XX century. It was initially understood as an economic difference between people in terms of their access to certain technologies, however it gradually gained a more comprehensive conceptualization as a systemic phenomenon: a manifestation of structural social inequality in a network society. Today researchers identify three levels of the digital divide (or steps in its evolution), highlighting the growing role of digital skills as well as social connections, intellectual, motivational and wider – human capital in social stratification. The problem of the inequality between individuals on the matter of using digital skills to improve level and quality of life is exacerbated by Industry 4.0 implementation and realization of the Russian government project of the creation of the digital economy. Analysis of the current Rosstat data from the point of view of three levels of digital inequality showed significant improvements in its first level – every year ICT becomes more accessible for Russians. The increase in the number of users leads to a drop in the average indicators of digital skills proficiency, nevertheless the number of Russians using such technologies to improve their level and quality of life is gradually growing. However, additional work is needed in this direction to make the reduction of third-level inequality a sustainable trend. The analysis of indicators which currently are used in the Rossiyskaya Federatsiya to assess the development of the information society, carried out in the framework of this study, demonstrated their compliance with international standards. The theoretical and methodological problem of the statistical methodology used by The Rosstat was revealed: the current indicators do not allow to reflect the correlation between the employment of the population and it’s level of the digital skills. Therefore the indicators currently used in Russiya for digital divide evaluation do not allow to access the readiness of the population to the transition period between industrial revolutions which are always accompanied by the primary wave of technological unemployment in the process of creative destruction of social and economic systems. The Russian state program «Digital Economy» had the strategic target «to launch a regular monitoring to identify the needs of different groups of the working population in the formation of digital economy competencies with the involvement of employers» by June 2019. However checking of the governmental sites of the authorities, who are responsible for the implementation of the mentioned monitoring showed that it is still not ready or just doesn’t accessible for general public.

scholarly journals Literature Review on Artificial Intelligence in Journalism: A Bibliometric Analysis of Publications Indexed in the Web of Science and Scopus

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 734-744
Author(s):  
Violetta Zorina ◽  
Elizaveta Osipovskaya
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Web Of Science ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Academic Literature ◽  
The Past ◽  
Research Areas ◽  
Current State ◽  
Number Of Publications ◽  
The Web

This article reviews the past-to-present academic literature on artificial intelligence (AI) in journalism. Over the past years, these technologies have attracted the sufficient attention of researchers from various fields of scientific study producing a large number of publications. We have reviewed academic articles published between 2015 and 2021 to provide understanding of the current state of the research on AI in various research areas including journalism. The corpus was gathered by searching publications in two international databases, Scopus and the Web of Science (WoS). 70 empirical studies were selected on the basis of applying AI to journalism. Each article was categorized according to the type of database, period of time, the country of publication, the field of study and the frequency of citations. The applied method of quantitative research allows tracking the development of research within six years in the field of automated journalism. Finally, we put forward several proposals for further research in this field.

scholarly journals Formal and substantial Internet information skills: The role of socio-demographic differences on the possession of different components of digital literacy

First Monday ◽  
2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Gui
Keyword(s):  
New Media ◽  
Digital Literacy ◽  
Substantial Part ◽  
Digital Inequality ◽  
Search Tasks ◽  
Gender And Education ◽  
Digital Skills ◽  
Information Skills ◽  
The Web

The literature about digital inequality has pointed out the role of so-called "digital skills" in contributing to a full exploitation of the opportunities of the Web for individuals. Research has started to measure the differences in online skills on a socio-demographic base, finding relevant disparities. Since different components of digital skills have been described in theory, it is not clear which of them are influenced by specific social variables and which are not. This study goes a step further in the analysis of "digital skills," concentrating on two different components of them: "formal information skills" and "substantial information skills." Complex search tasks were assigned to a quota sample made up of young people in northern Italy, divided by gender and education level. The results show that when other important variables associated with digital skills (age, experience with the Web, availability of hardware and software) are kept constant differences in gender and education have an influence on substantial information skills, but not on formal ones. This provides evidence for the assumption that a substantial part of digital skills represent a socially relevant factor for digital inequality, even when education and the spread of new media have standardized the level of formal skills.

Subversive affordances as a form of digital transnational activism: The case of Telegram’s native proxy

2021 ◽  
pp. 146144482110548
Author(s):  
Marcelo Santos ◽  
Magdalena Saldaña ◽  
Ksenia Tsyganova
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Significant Fraction ◽  
Transnational Activism ◽  
The Past ◽  
Digital Divides ◽  
Digital Skills ◽  
Instant Messenger ◽  
Low Levels

Internet, social media, and app shutdowns have become frequent, not only in authoritarian states but also in emerging and fragile democracies. As Russian authorities enforced a legal blockage to Instant Messenger Telegram during the past 2 years, many users kept using the app seamlessly thanks to what we call a subversive affordance: a built-in proxy functionality that allows users to seamlessly circumvent the blockage. We claim it is subversive because it allows users to overcome the blockage as the consequence of the app’s development, with a significant fraction of users who did not have to take action to bypass the blockage. By conducting an online survey and performing a meta-cluster analysis, we found a group we labeled the undeprived: people that, despite presenting traits frequently associated with digital divides—such as gender, age, and low levels of digital skills—were able to keep using the app.

scholarly journals Benefits and harms from Internet use: A differentiated analysis of Great Britain

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 618-640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grant Blank ◽  
Christoph Lutz
Keyword(s):  
Digital Divide ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Internet Survey ◽  
Digital Inequality ◽  
Privacy Concerns ◽  
Highly Educated ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Digital Divides ◽  
The Social

Recent studies have enhanced our understanding of digital divides by investigating outcomes of Internet use. We extend this research to analyse positive and negative outcomes of Internet use in the United Kingdom. We apply structural equation modelling to data from a large Internet survey to compare the social structuration of Internet benefits with harms. We find that highly educated users benefit most from using the web. Elderly individuals benefit more than younger ones. Next to demographic characteristics, technology attitudes are the strongest predictors of online benefits. The harms from using the Internet are structured differently, with educated users and those with high levels of privacy concerns being most susceptible to harm. This runs counter to intuitions based on prior digital divide research, where those at the margins should be most at risk. While previous research on digital inequality has only looked at benefits, the inclusion of harms draws a more differentiated picture.

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