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Give PCs a Chance: Personal Computer Ownership and the Digital Divide in the United States and Great Britain

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  • John Schmitt
  • Jonathan Wadsworth

Abstract

This paper summarizes inequalities in PC ownership using data from the US Consumer Expenditure Survey (CE) and the British General Household Survey (GHS) for the period 1984-98. Between 1988 and 1994, British households were more likely than US households to own a personal computer (PC). After 1994, however, US PC ownership rates accelerated rapidly, pushing the United States ahead of Britain. Differences in computer ownership rates are however much larger within the two countries, measured by income, education, age, family status, and race. Both the United States and Britain show large and growing inequality in PC ownership over the 1980s and 1990s. Analysis of ownership patterns of four other household consumer durables suggests that there may be significant limitations to relying solely on the market to eradicate PC inequality quickly.

Suggested Citation

  • John Schmitt & Jonathan Wadsworth, 2002. "Give PCs a Chance: Personal Computer Ownership and the Digital Divide in the United States and Great Britain," CEP Discussion Papers dp0526, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    • Handle: RePEc:cep:cepdps:dp0526
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Christine Greenhalgh, 2002. "Rich Man, Poor Man, Beggar Man, Thief - But Who is Who in the Capitalist Economy," Economics Series Working Papers 119, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    2. Tadesse Wodajo & Jean Kimmel, 2013. "Explaining changes in the racial digital divide in the United States from 1997 to 2007," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(5), pages 483-518, July.
    3. Schmitt, John & Wadsworth, Jonathan, 2006. "Is there an impact of household computer ownership on children's educational attainment in Britain?," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 25(6), pages 659-673, December.
    4. Francesco Venturini, 2005. "How Much Does IT Consumption Matter for Growth? Evidence from National Accounts," Rivista di Politica Economica, SIPI Spa, vol. 95(1), pages 57-110, January-F.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Inequality; Personal Computers;

    JEL classification:

    • J6 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers

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