The Effect Of Gender And Socioeconomic Factors On Digital Literacy

Digital Literacy plays a key role in the modern society in which the use of digital devises, such as computers, tablet and smartphones, is widespread across the World. It can be defined as a set of abilities and skills necessary to understand and to use information from a wide range of digital sources. Yet, it can depend on several factors such as gender, ethnicity and socioeconomic factors (e. g. high or low socioeconomic status, level of parental education and family financial well-being). Such factors may lead to an extensive digital divide among people, creating inequalities in the access to computers and the internet.

The purpose of this essay is to research how gender and socioeconomic factors may affect Digital Literacy and it is somewhat narrow in that it focuses mostly on gender and largely on socioeconomic factors. This essay will argue that Digital Literacy depends much more on socio economic factors than gender because such socioeconomic factors, besides the access to digital technologies and resources, can also have a huge impact on how people are able to use them. The first part of this essay will focus on gender. The second part will discuss socioeconomic factors and how their impact can influence digital literacy.

Gender has always been considered in the literature as one of the most important factors influencing Digital Literacy. A piece of research has shown that a digital divide exists between females and males, due to the fact that boys are more experienced in the use of computers and they are more likely to spend more time on them at home (Attewell and Battle, 1990; Hargittai and Shafer, 2006; Imhof, Vollmeyer and Beierlein, 2007; Kuhlemeier and Hemker, 2007 in Ritzhaupt et al. 2013, p. 6). Likewise, the general opinion believes that men and boys, irrespective of their experiences, age or aptitude with technologies, are more attracted in, and are more expert at, the use of computers (Cooper & Weaver, 2003, in Cooper 2016, p. 12). Evidence from Austria suggests also that girls suffer disadvantages in the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools based on their self-assessment and learning method (Parycek et al. 2012, p. 20).

Globally, however, when gender is considered the situation concerning the digital divide existing between males and females seemed to be improved given that over the last few years almost all schools provide access to ICT tools for both boys and girls. Recently, a piece of research conducted by Ritzhaupt et al. (2013, p. 6) has also found that girls are better than boys in using ICT tools, even if this interesting finding is not consistent with previous research that described males as better ICT users than girls due to the fact that boys, as argued above, are more competent in and good at using computers. This result shows that schools by providing equal access to digital devices are narrowing the existing gap between girls and boys. Moreover, a further study provides strong evidence that females perform better than males when using ICT resources in the same sex group (Cooper & Weaver, 2003, in Cooper 2016, p. 12). This means that also the social context matters when gender is considered.

In light of above, it seems clear that gender still plays an important role in influencing digital literacy, even though some recent evidence illustrates that the gap between men and women is almost bridged through the access that schools guarantee to all students to ICT devises.

Compared with gender, socioeconomic factors have huge implications on Digital Literacy. Of these factors, high or low socioeconomic status, level and type of education, and family income have a close impact on the access to computers and the internet. The impact of these factors is not limited to the access to ICT resources, but it also concerns how people are able to use them. This latter aspect is very important because it has been argued that “the knowledge about how to use what resources in which context will determine the success or failure of our daily searches and subsequently determine our chances as digital citizens in the information society” (Parycek et al. 2011, p. 17).

Over the last few years, governments have tried to respond to the existing disparities among people coming from a different socioeconomic background, seeking out to equalise school and home access to computers. Evidence from Australia and England shows that both governments have been committed to providing to all children home computers and the internet access (Harris, Straker, Pollock 2017, p. 2). However, in spite of some policies enacted to support the reduction of the inequalities to computers and internet access, globally a digital divide among people caused by socioeconomic factors still exists. Attwell and Hesseldahl (2001 and 2008 in Ritzhauput et al. 2013, p. 6) state that families with low socioeconomic status have less access to computers and the internet at home and thus these families do not have the necessary skills and knowledge to use ICT resources for their personal empowerment. A piece of research in Austria has shown that the access to computers and the internet is also related to the school type. For example, people attending a Gymnasium are more likely to have their own computers while people with a low socio status and attending a Hauptschule do not have the equal access to the same technology (Parycek et al. 2011, p. 21). It is worth noting that socioeconomic factors are often related also to migration background and ethnicity. Compelling evidence from Austria shows that people who belong to poor and minority families, with an immigration background and attending a Hauptschule report the foulest result when searching for information online (Parycek et al. 2011, p. 18). Finally, it has also been argued by Pannor Silver (2014, p. 1029) that higher socioeconomic status increases the odds of being a good user in the adulthood. There is significant evidence to suggest that childhood socioeconomic status (e. g. parental education, and financial well-being) can lead to a regular internet use in the maturity (ibid, p. 1029).

Given the evidence above, it seems clear that Digital Literacy depends strongly on socioeconomic factors, even though many governments have put in place actions aiming at reduce the digital divide among people with different socioeconomic status.

In conclusion, the results of this essay support the idea that Digital Literacy depends much more on socioeconomic factors than gender, even though this latter may have some implications on it. Factors such as high and low economic social status, educational attainment, type of school and family income, besides the access to digital technologies and resources, can have great implications on how people are able to use them, also in the adulthood. Over the past few years, many governments have taken some measures aiming at bridge the existing digital gap among people due to the socioeconomic factors; however, these measures do not appear to be having much effect and a number of important changes needs to be done. Since this study was limited to gender and socioeconomic factors, it was not possible to assess the real impact of socioeconomic factors on ICT literature, especially when they are combined with other variables, such as ethnicity and gender; therefore, further research is needed to better understand also this relationship.