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Digital Divide: Although there are
nostatistics on Internet use in this part
of Rhode Island, we can look at the watershed
as a microcosm of American demographics-- partly
urban, partly suburban, partly rural.
According to the National
Telecommunications and Information Association,
"Overall level of U.S. digital inclusion
is rapidly increasing," and that "Groups
that have traditionally been digital 'have nots'
are now making dramatic gains." However,
we can see that there remains a large disparity
between ethnic and economic groups.
(Numbers from the NTIA
analysis of 2000 Census data)
The survey's availability on the
Internet is, therefore, both highly democratic
and also suspect in its equitability. It is available
to everyone but there are questions as
to how much of the watershed population was able
to access it.
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