From Digital Divide to Digital Equity and Inclusion: ICT Access, Adoption, and Use among Vulnerable Populations

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10125/107497

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“A” for Access: The Effects of Pandemic Technology Maintenance Issues on College Students’ Grades, Stress, and Coping
(2024-01-03) Petro, Gwen; Gonzales, Amy; Velloso, Luiza
Campus lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic left some higher education students without access to reliable, high-quality digital technology. This research extends the technology maintenance construct—the idea that computing quality is consequential for quality-of-life–in a few key ways: by examining it in the novel context of emergency remote learning, by testing students’ place of residence as a moderator of its effect on academic success, and by linking this construct to perceived stress and coping. In an analysis of representative survey data from a public university in California between February and July of 2020, we find that although Internet and computing quality were not associated with GPA pre-lockdown, they were during lockdown, particularly for students who remained on campus. Internet and computing quality also predicted students’ stress and coping ability during lockdown. These data underscore the role of higher education institutions in expanding access to digital technology.
Can Stablecoins Actually Improve Financial Inclusion: Exploring the IT Affordances of Token-Based Digital Currencies
(2024-01-03) Kim, Henry
To motivate wider adoption, proponents of token-based digital currencies have advocated for their use for financial inclusion. Token-based currencies are closer to cash than are intermediated account-based ones (e.g., M-Pesa), which is important since cash is the least financially excluding form of money. However, in-depth evidential studies have concluded that the narrative appears compelling only in niche cases. In this paper, a re-examined exploration of the narrative, drawing from an IT Affordance lens, is presented. The paper explores how the recently introduced concept of an intermediary ecosystem can hinder or enable a financially excluded person’s potential use of stablecoins to fulfill goals associated with financial inclusion affordances. The possibility that stablecoin functionalities could be integrated into, for example, community-based initiatives like Latin American tandas is explored. Hence, reframing through the lens of IT affordance reinforces that blockchain-based tokenized digital currencies could strengthen benevolent intermediaries’ ability to aid financially excluded persons.
The Ripple of Technology: A Literature Review on Examining the Impact of ICT on Tibetan Refugees Through the Lens of Modernity and Postmodernism
(2024-01-03) Ding, Wenwen
Navigating the complex interplay of ICT, modernity, and postmodernity within the Tibetan diaspora, this literature review uncovers the transformative role of ICT in displaced communities. It dissects how ICT influences Tibetan refugees’ social networks, cross-border exchanges, and cultural identities amidst geopolitical tumult. We highlight the intricate link between ICT use and cultural preservation, through the lens of modernity and postmodernism. We underline the need for nuanced understanding and further investigation into ICT’s impact on displaced populations, considering its multifaceted role in reshaping identities, fostering social mobility, and enhancing overall well-being in our increasingly interconnected and digital world. We identify challenges and opportunities for further research, with a particular focus on elucidating the intricate relationship between ICT and cultural identity, the promise of crowdsourcing for cultural preservation, the protective potential of ICT for cultural identity, and the role of ICT as emancipatory tools in the face of social stratification.
Digital Inclusion of Senior Citizens: A Practice Theory Approach
(2024-01-03) Chan, Calvin; Guan, Chong
The use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is becoming pervasive in many societies around the world, rendering people who are less technologically savvy to be digitally excluded in an increasingly digitally-enabled world. One such group is the senior citizens who are among the least technologically savvy in many societies. This paper studies the use of ICT among senior citizens by leveraging Bourdieu’s Practice Theory. Implications are drawn from the results to discuss how various forms of Capitals and Disposition affect ICT use among senior citizens and what may be done to bring about greater digital inclusion for senior citizens.
Design Requirements for Inclusive Assistive Technologies: Facilitating Communication Between the Deaf and the Hearing
(2024-01-03) Koddebusch, Michael; He, Jingxian; Hinrichs, Jonas Alfred; Becker, Jörg
Communication plays a pivotal role in our society and, for many, relates to oral communication. Deaf people have always relied on sign-based communication and sign languages. However, for the last two centuries, they have been deprived of equal participation opportunities in a world designed for the Hearing. Targeting the communication barrier between the Deaf and the Hearing, this article aims to develop design requirements for an assistive technology that operates at the intersection between sign language and spoken language, facilitating communication at eye level. The opportunities provided by interdisciplinary development and new technological means allow us to envision a new generation of assistive technologies that foster inclusion instead of creating artificial hierarchies. We employ a Design Science Research approach incorporating a literature review, a web-content analysis, and interviews. We present 18 functional design requirements, eight UI and UX requirements, and nine requirements for the development process.
Getting off the Digital Divide? Not so Fast! Exploring the Viability of Digital-divide-based Crowdfunding Models
(2024-01-03) Frimpong, Bright; Treku, Daniel
Crowdfunding literature primarily assumes the phenomenon as internet based. With the untapped potential of crowdfunding activities in developing regions, little is known of the viability of non-internet crowdfunding models in explaining crowdfunding success and how they compare with internet models. Non-internet crowdfunding models, particularly SMS crowdfunding, proliferate due to digital divide infringements. This research leverages fit-viability perspectives and crowdfunding literature to explain the significant differences in utilizing either model for crowdfunding. Our analysis reveals that, despite their inherent differences, both the SMS and internet crowdfunding models offer equal opportunities for project success, attributed to their unique economic viability mechanisms. This finding advocates for SMS crowdfunding’s continued adoption and refinement, especially within marginalized societies, as an avenue to facilitate digital inclusivity and foster a more balanced global financial landscape. We offer theoretical and practical implications to support our analysis.
The Information Billboard: Effects of Popular Search Terms on Search Behaviors and Digital Divide
(2024-01-03) Park, Yunha; Kim, Jihye; Lee, Kyu-Min; Oh, Wonseok
Popular search terms (PSTs), which provide real- time access to frequently searched terms, have been instrumental in saving time and reducing search costs for information seekers. Recently, a major search engine in Korea abruptly discontinued its PSTs feature. This study examines the impact of this termination on search behaviors, specifically among information-poor individuals such as the elderly, the poor, low-income earners, and those with lower education levels. Using unique panel datasets reflecting search engine app usage, we employed reduced-form approaches to comprehensively analyze the effects of this policy change on digital divide in forms of information disparity across diverse social groups. The removal of PSTs generally discouraged user engagement in searches. Of greater concern is the asymmetric effect of discontinuation based on socioeconomic status, as disadvantaged users experienced significantly increased search costs. These underprivileged users were less able to effectively utilize alternative search venues compared to their more privileged counterparts.
Digital Divide in Rural Native American Homes: A Student Perspective
(2024-01-03) Fenner, Chad; Noteboom, Cherie; El-Gayar, Omar
Native American homes located in rural western North Dakota have seen increased availability of broadband and fiber optic Internet but continue to have low access numbers. Native American homes in the region located outside population centers continue to have difficulty accessing the Internet. Many households continue to struggle with economic factors compounded by the cost of a device to access the Internet for personal, educational, or employment use. A qualitative study with semi-structured interviews and the grounded theory method investigated the Native American home environment. Interviews were conducted with Native American students attending a state university with insight into diverse digital environments. The cost of access and technical knowledge continue to be issues in the home. This research deepens the understanding of digital divide factors in Native American households, emphasizing the perspective of Native American students.
Introduction to the Minitrack on From Digital Divide to Digital Equity and Inclusion: ICT Access, Adoption, and Use among Vulnerable Populations
(2024-01-03) Qureshi, Israr; Leong, Carmen; Bailey, Arlene

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