The Poor and the Internet

In a recent USA Today op-ed piece, titled “Poor Suffer from Lack of Internet Access,” Julianne Malveaux stated, “While the internet has hardly caused the gap between the [lower and higher rungs on the economic ladder], it is one of the many things that have made the gap greater.”

Although Julianne Malveaux is relatively correct in saying that the “poor suffer from [a] lack of Internet access” (despite increasing usage and availability, especially in public schools and libraries) and that “the Internet has hardly caused [societal] gap[s]” (something that has long existed), she is absolutely incorrect in suggesting that its birth has widened these gaps.

Poorer people statistically have less access to the Internet than economic higher-ups. However, this figure is double veiled. 36% of poor people had Internet access in their homes in 2006, up from 17% in 1999 (USA Today 31 June 2007). In addition, this figure fails to take Internet access at schools and libraries into account. I personally visit Greensboro’s Central Library about once a week, and every time I go, poor and quite possible homeless people are using the Internet right next to better-off folks. Mrs. Malveaux’s argument fails to consider all aspects of the situation by focusing solely on home access.

On the other hand, Mrs. Malveaux was correct when she hinted that the Internet gives people an advantage over those who don’t, as the founders of Google and Facebook have been delighted to find out. But, and it’s a big ‘but’ (and I cannot lie...), this advantage is exactly the same for all people who have access to it. (People don’t go around saying “my Internet is shinier!”) Sure, there are different providers, but the difference between these can be measured in seconds, if not milliseconds. This equal opportunity and advantage, rather than increasing social tensions and divisions, evens out the classes and blurs the divisions by providing equal access. Additionally, the Internet has made raising awareness and funds for the poor vastly easier. It has become a powerful tool for the poor, letting them help themselves.

Julianne Malveaux’s argument that differences in Internet access cause the gap between the poor and the not to widen rests on an appeal to guilt of being richer and the false assumption that the poor do not have access to the Net.