Opportunity for All? Technology and Learning in Lower-Income Families

Recent research on digital media use points to two important gaps in educational opportunity for low-income families with young children. First, there is an access gap. Second, there is what scholars refer to as a participation gap, in which digital resources are not well guided or supported to ensure educational progress. Despite these barriers, many low-income families are using media and new technologies in creative ways to support their children’s pathways to success and to strengthen family relationships.

In this report, media and policy expert Vicky Rideout and Rutgers University scholar Vikki Katz explore the current uses of digital technologies to help promote educational opportunities for all through a national survey of nearly 1,200 low-income parents of school-age children and in-person interviews with lower-income, Hispanic families in three communities located in Arizona, California, and Colorado.

Here’s the reports key findings:

1. Most low- and moderate-income families have some form of Internet connection, but many are under-connected, with mobile-only access and inconsistent connectivity.
2. Families headed by Hispanic immigrants are less connected than other low- and moderate-income families.
3. The main reason some families do not have home computers or Internet access is because they cannot afford it, but discounted Internet programs are reaching very few.
4. Low- and moderate-income parents use the Internet for a broad range of purposes, but mobile-only families are less likely to do certain online activities.
5. Children from low- and moderate-income families use computers and the Internet for a variety of educational activities, but those without home access are less likely to go online to pursue their interests.
6. Parents feel largely positive about the Internet and digital technology, but many also have concerns.
7. Children and parents frequently learn with, and about, technology together, especially in families with the lowest incomes and where parents have less education.