Digital Literacy Divides: Impact of Social Determinants on College Students’ Digital Behaviors

RM 215

In a world of always-on connectivity, the nature of the digital divide has changed from mere digital access to the ability to navigate the digital environment and make use of digital information productively (digital literacy). This paper explores the role of social determinants on students’ digital literacy. The paper operationalizes digital literacy across four dimensions: digital information skills, digital content skills, networking skills, and privacy skills. Using a survey on a random national sample of 376 students, the paper explores the relationships between gender, parental education and family income and the four dimensions of digital literacy. The paper finds evidence that income has an effect on digital skills.