How the online world reflects inequality

A raft of new evidence shows the rise of the internet itself may have boosted inequality, and that how people use internet access may be just as — or more — important than the access itself. Educated users with high incomes derive the most benefit from internet use, a 2016 study in Europe showed. The World Bank issued a 2014 report warning that providing internet access on its own would only deepen inequality within and among countries unless governments ensured competitive markets and provided better education.

Whether closing the digital divide further widens the wealth gap depends on a host of complex factors, according to researchers. Country-by-country comparisons show the pattern unfolds differently depending on the regulatory framework, labor market policies, education policies and more, says Johannes Bauer, a professor of media and information at Michigan State University. On a global basis, the impact of tech appears to help level the field. Within wealthier countries, however, more tech often correlates with deepening inequality. The lesson may be to view the fight for access not as an end in itself but rather as one element in a broader campaign to level playing fields. Mark Warschauer, professor of education at UC-Irvine, argues that information technology amplifies the power of "haves" and weakens the under-educated, and the latter can only compete if they're able to use digital tools to develop skills that will help them get better jobs. "Access is not a sufficient condition, but it is a necessary one" for reducing inequality, Warschauer says.