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From
Diverse Online Current News Many more White children use the Internet than do Hispanic and
Black students, a reminder that going online is hardly a way of life for
everyone. Two of every three White students — 67 percent — use
the Internet, but less than half of Blacks and Hispanics do, according to
federal data released Tuesday. For Hispanics, the figure is 44 percent; for
Blacks, it’s 47 percent. “This creates incredible barriers for minorities,”
says Mark I. Lloyd, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and
an expert on how communications influence civil rights. Not using the Internet “narrows their ability to even
think about the kind of work they can be doing,” Lloyd says. “It
doesn’t prepare them for a world in which they’re going to be
expected to know how to do these things.” The new data come from the Overall, 91 percent of students in nursery school through 12th
grade use computers; 59 percent use the Internet. Yet within those numbers, the digital divide between groups is a
national concern. Studies have shown that access and ability to use the Internet
helps improve people’s learning, job prospects and daily living. Schools have taken big steps to close the gaps. Virtually all That’s not the case at home. A total of 54 percent of White students use the Internet at
home, compared with 26 percent of Hispanic and 27 percent of Black
youngsters. Limited access can erode a student’s ability to research
assignments, explore college scholarships or just get comfortable going
online. Kids use the Internet most often for completing school
assignments, the new study says. But they also count on it for e-mail,
sending instant messages and playing games. The racial divide in computer usage is tied to broader problems,
including poverty in Black and Latino communities and even a cultural
reluctance to use the Internet, Lloyd says. Among other students, 58 percent of Asian children and 47
percent of American Indian students use the Internet. The numbers are growing for all groups of students — a bit
of good news, Lloyd says. “We should celebrate that, with caution,” he says.
“The sky is not falling. The numbers are improving. But there is still
a gap, and we need to find a way to address it.” — Associated Press
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