The Ecology of Racial Digital Divide

Eric Fong, University of Toronto
Xinshan Cao, University of Toronto

In this study, we explore racial digital divide in the U.S. We develop a casual model to explain computer and internet use at home both at the individual and city ecological levels. We incorporate the diffusion model suggested in literature on technology transfer, and show the ecological importance of interaction effects between residential segregation and group poverty levels in the city in affecting computer and internet use at home. The analysis is based on the 2000 Internet and Computer Use Data of the Current Population Survey and 2000 US Census data. Hierarchical Linear Model will be employed to delineate the effects of individual characteristics and city ecological factors.