The Digital Divide is most easily defined in terms of money. Money is not the only defining factor. Those with more education are more likely to be online. Younger, urban residents are more likely to have access than older people living in rural areas. Detroit, the Thumb area and the Upper Peninsula lag behind the rest of the state in computer ownership.
Race is also a factor.
This year, the number of people with Internet access is expected to reach 30 million worldwide, up almost 80 percent from 1999, the U.S. Commerce Department said this week. The fastest growth in Internet access is occurring in affluent, white households. The slowest growth is in lower income, African-American households. Black and Hispanic households with similar circumstances are as likely to have computers, but they are 14 percent less likely to have Internet access at home. The political debate over the Digital Divide is reaching a fever pitch in Washington, and the debate is likely to heat up in Lansing as well.