Whites are much more likely to own a home computer and use World Wide Web, researchers say.
In the first survey of its kind, a team of Vanderbilt University management experts compared computer use among whites and African Americans. The digital divide was greatest among high school and college students, the Vanderbilt researchers found. It reinforces inequalities. Experts said the disparity in Web use means that many blacks are not part of a rapidly growing arena of commerce, employment opportunity and learning. Computer-related industries expect to hire 1.3 million workers in the next decade.