The website that I took my next information from was the New York Times and was written by Jenna Wortham. This article mainly talked about how the stereotypical internet user was a white man but now the usage has been shifted to younger African-Americans. According to a survey that Wortham studied it was “conducted in April by interviewing 2,253 Americans, found that while accessing the Internet via a mobile phone was increasing, the swell was reflected most sharply among African-Americans.” This is important in the digital divide because it shows that the gap is narrowing and usage is spread widely across all kinds of people.
This article also pointed out that “nearly half of all African-Americans and English-speaking Hispanics (the study did not include a Spanish-language option) were using mobile phones or other hand-held devices to surf the Web and send e-mail messages.” Only about 28% of white Americans are using their phones to use the internet. About 10-12 years ago computer and internet usage was only available to white people who were middle income or higher which left out a large population of African-Americans.
To read this article you can go to www.nytimes.com and in the search box type Mobile Internet Use Shrinks Digital Divide.
My final question is, how has internet usage on cell phones affected you, if you do not have internet usage on your phone why not?
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I do not have internet usage on my cellphone. It is not part of my plan and I do not feel the need to pay more to get it on my phone. Personally I like having the larger screen of my monitor to look at rather than trying to look on the screen of my phone.
ReplyDeleteI have internet usage on my phone, but find it cumbersome and takes a lot longer than if I would just use my home computer.
ReplyDeleteRachel
I do not have internet usage on my cellphone. It is an older plan and I don't really feel the need to update it. I would much rather go to my computer (or a computer on campus) for my internet needs. There may come a time when this option will be more appealing to me and by then I will hopefully have a full-time job... For now, texting is enough.
ReplyDeleteI think internet usage on my phone has made my life a whole lot easier! I hadn't had it until about a year ago and since then it seems I'm always on it. When I need directions someplace instead of buying GPS, you can get it right on your phone. Any question you have, Google is right at your fingertips. It is also nice to have your email right there wherever you go in case you are waiting for something important. Personally, I think it's great.
ReplyDeleteI do not have internet usage on my phone. I think it is too expensive for what I would get out of it. If I had a job where I needed to check my email often or something like that, I might get it, but I don't need the internet at my fingertips all day, every day. If I want to check facebook or my email, I can do it at home or at school.
ReplyDeleteInternet usage on my cell phone means nothing to me. I can play a game that I've downloaded through it maybe twice a year when I'm put in a situation in which there is absolutely nothing better to do. There is usually nothing I need to know bad enough that I can't just ask someone who does know or wait until I'm on a computer.
ReplyDeleteI simply do not have a cell phone, and If I did I would be way to busy to access the internet on my phone.
ReplyDeleteI do not have the internet on my phone, but would like it. The reason I do not have it is the cost per month extra I would be paying. I will probably end up getting it in the future, just because I rely on the internet for information, communication, and entertainment.
ReplyDeleteInternet usage on cell phones has really not affected me. I do not have internet on my cell phone because I don't have the money to pay for it. I think it would be useful to have in some cases, although I think I will get along just fine without it on my phone.
ReplyDeleteThis is great, I don't even have a cell phone! I was ridiculed in my last class for this but since then I have talked to young people who admire the fact that I have not 'given in'. I do not want to consume any more junk than I have to in order to get along in this world. I have a land line and an old computer at home that was given to me for free after it was used at a public school for some years. I can use the computers here at school for all my other needs and I am happy that I do not have to consume any more techno stuff that will eventually end up in a landfill!
ReplyDeleteinternet usage on phones has not effected me at all. I do not use internet on my phone nor do I ever want it on my phone. The screen and buttons on a cell phone are to small for me.
ReplyDeleteI do not get internet on my phone because I have access at school and at home, so I do not need it. If I did not have computer access, I think that I would want to get the internet through my phone.
ReplyDeleteI think that internet usage on your phone has made access to the Internet more accessible and widespread. I, myself, do not have the Internet on my phone because I didn't see the need for it when I have a computer at home that gets the Internet and I didn't want to pay for Internet on my phone and at my house.
ReplyDelete