Experts cite a range of causes - from distrust of technology to marketing stereotypes to the need for more Internet content of specific interest to minorities. Ms. Jeffers and others with the project visited roughly 40 communities across the country where computers had been set up to give access to poor people and minority-group members. Helping minority communities see the practical application of computers is an issue, she says. And there is concern about how to handle the changes technology brings about. Mr. Walton looked at the impact of the cotton gin on the rise of slavery, the development of nautical equipment to handle strong winds and currents that gave a boost to the slave trade, and a mechanical cotton picker that, he writes, resulted in the migration of thousands of blacks to the north's industrial cities.
Income is another factor, according to experts.
As earnings rise, the cyber gap narrows. Not willing to wait Time, some argue, works against increases in income quickly closing the cyber gap. The problem is people with resources maintain a technological advantage and even greater access because of what they are able to spend on computer classes and equipment upgrades. That is widening the gap. Money equals access, compounding the problem.