ABSTRACT
There are many scholarly concerns that the Internet, rather than reducing existing inequalities, is actually exacerbating them (DiMaggio et al., 2001; van Dijk, 2005). “Digital inequality” refers to the uneven access to and use of information and communication technology (ICT) (Anderson et al., 1995). With the advent of the World Wide Web, early studies of “digital inequality” focused on understanding the factors associated with physical access to the Internet at home, at work and in other settings (Hargittai, 2007). As Internet access has become more universal in Western societies, studies have focused on more subtle indices of use, including the quality of access, the context and intensity of use, types of use, and users' computer skills (van Dijk, 2005; Hargittai, 2007).
