Digital Divide Factors for User Engagement

This study examines the digital divide in older adults in a minority-majority urban community. Grounded in resources and appropriation theory, this study predicts that categorical disparities in society produce an unequal distribution of resources and that an unequal distribution of resources leads to unequal Internet use. To investigate the relationships in an older adult sample, personal (ethnicity and gender), positional factors (income, education, employment, and retirement), and appropriation factors (attitude, access, skills, and usage) were included in analyzing data from a community where minority ethnic groups are the majority. Data was collected from older adults in an urban area in the Southern United States. Hispanics' Internet skill levels were higher than the other ethnicities. More positive attitudes, access, skills, and usage were found in wealthier residential locations, higher income, and higher education. The results also underscored the crucial role of attitudinal factors in improving material access, Internet skills, and usage in the minority-majority community.