Technology Disparity
For chapter 15

It is not difficult to find reports on the growth of technology in both corporations and in households. Most of these reports are concerned with the United States, but some take on more of a global focus. At the household level, PC ownership among all Americans increased from approximately 25% in 1994 to over 36% in 1997, according to a study by the U.S. Commerce Department available at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/net2/falling.html. What is rarely focused on in the media, however, is the disparity of PC ownership in America.

When the PC ownership numbers are analyzed, it turns out that nearly 41% of white households own a PC, though only 19% of Hispanic households and 19% of African-American households own a PC. This 22% gap between white households and the other two groups was 17% in 1994. The study also reported that white households are nearly three times more likely to have online services than households of the other groups. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has decided to hold hearings on this disparity.

Many sociology and technology experts believe that the transformation of society as a result of technology and the Internet will only occur if entire sectors of society not on the Internet have access and entire countries gain access. What this means is that there are too many people and groups that are unable to take advantage of the new digital economy. Not only do they not have access to the Internet, many members of these groups don't even have a computer. As computer prices continually drop, and Internet access becomes faster and more reliable, there is hope that these disparities will begin to decrease. For instance, several manufacturers now offer PCs for $400-500 that are fully functional and ready for the Internet. These relatively inexpensive PCs will hopefully enable less affluent families and sectors of society to join the technological revolution.

Another area of technology disparity occurs between the United States as a country and other countries or regions. For instance, Europe has been slightly behind the U.S. in overall technology. (This is not necessarily true for individual countries!) However, Europe has begun closing the technology gap with the US. The Euro (the soon-to-be-introduced currency for the European Union) is believed to have a major influence as infrastructure spending is high and foreign investment will likely increase. This spending and the resulting growth in the European technology infrastructure will have long-lasting effects both within and outside of Europe.

Points to Ponder:

1. If you had to estimate the percentage of American households with PCs in 1998 before reading this piece, what would your estimate have been? Would you have been close to the actual number of 36%? If not, on what grounds did you base your estimate?

2. Besides the continual lowering of computer prices, what else could/should be done to decrease the technology disparity? Who is responsible for making the changes necessary? Why? Is there anything that you, personally, can do?

3. Discuss the long-term implications for a large technology disparity among groups in the U.S. Why has this disparity gained so little attention in the media to date? Were you aware of such a disparity? If so, how did you become aware of it?