Although the acquisition of home computers have made access to the internet more commonplace, a significant gap still exists when it comes to usage of both computers and the internet by minorities, according to a new U.S. Census Bureau report.
The report, titled “Computer and Internet Use in the United States: 2015,” shows that 88 percent of non-Hispanic White households had a computer in the home, compared to 80.1 percent of Black households. In addition, about 81.7 percent of White households had a desktop or laptop computer, compared to 65.1 percent of Black households.
However, in 2015 nearly 80 percent of all White households had a contract to provide internet access, compared to 65 percent of Black households that had a subscription to an internet service, the report said.
Previous research has shown that African-Americans are more likely than Whites to use smartphones — often Blacks’ only access point to the internet.