The Economic Consequences and Generational Impact of the Digital Divide

Digital inequities allow the digital divide to thrive in the most under-resourced communities. Proof of inequity rarely surfaces in isolation and has a compound effect by multiplying the impact of disadvantage. This research was designed to explore three primary questions. First, is there a predominant race and socioeconomic class of the populations most frequently impacted by the digital divide? Second, does the digital divide impose a collective cost that is shared with digitally disadvantaged and connected households? Third, should investing in digital equity be a national priority? The analysis documents why the answer to all three of those questions is a resounding yes. Even though the recommendations in this report primarily focus on the effect of public policy decisions or inaction coupled with marketplace dynamics, there is an implicit call for both public and private entities to examine how their roles – including strategic silence – have contributed to digital inequality. Public policy changes are only ceremonial without confronting the underbelly of how technology and telecommunications regulations are made. Moreover, permanently eliminating digital divides necessitates deliberate reflection on whose voices and stories actually inform remedies, which can differ from those that policy proposals are purported to help.