ABSTRACT
Although there has recently been a significant growth in the use of information technologies in the workplace, in education and in the home, there is little evidence to support the technologically deterministic predictions about IT becoming ubiquitous throughout society and about radical social changes that would follow. In Western countries, the impact of IT upon different groups in society has been varied, tending to reinforce rather than ameliorate existing inequalities. This chapter will examine some of the differences that exist between groups (primarily within the UK) in the extent of access to and use of IT in the home and in education. In particular, it will consider variations that exist in terms of gender, age and socio-economic group. As well as presenting the quantitative evidence for the existence of these differences, the chapter will consider whether IT is likely to exacerbate social differences.
