Digital Equity Research | Tech Goes Home

Digital Equity: Dispelling Myths

As defined by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA), "digital equity is a condition in which all individuals and communities have the information technology capacity needed for full participation in our society, democracy, and economy. Digital equity is necessary for civic and cultural participation, employment, lifelong learning, and access to essential services."

Tech Goes Home has gathered extensive research to support and inform our work. Take a look at these common myths about technology access and get a glimpse of why we do what we do.

A man looks at a computer screen displaying search results about back pain

Myth #1:

Everyone has internet access.

False.

13% of households in the City of Boston (12% cross Massachusetts) lack a home broadband subscription.

Among adults with household incomes below $30,000 a year, 44% don't have home broadband services.

Among low-income families who have home internet, 52% say their access is too slow and 20% say their internet has been cut off in the last year due to lack of payment.

16.9 million children across the U.S. lack access to high-speed home internet.

During the pandemic, nearly 1 in 5 families with incomes of $50,000 or less lost internet connectivity due to cost, and 49% are on the precipice of disconnection

False

19% of households in the City of Boston (18% across Massachusetts) lack a desktop or laptop computer at home

Among adults with household incomes below $30,000 a year, 46% don’t have a computer.

26% of adults with household incomes under $30,000 are “smartphone-dependent” internet users. This means they do not have an internet-connected computer at home and rely entirely on a smartphone for internet access.

7.3 million children across the U.S. lack access to a home computer

26% of low-income families who do have a computer at home say too many people share the same computer.

A young boy wearing a mask holding his new chromebooks

Myth #2:

Everyone has a computer.

Two young students and an adult work on their chromebooks during a tech goes home course

Myth #3:

Everyone knows how to use computers & the internet.

False.

One third of all American workers lack basic digital literacy skills for navigating technology and the internet.

In Massachusetts, nearly 80% of jobs require at least fundamental digital skills.

Middle-skill jobs requiring digital skills are growing 2.5 times faster than those that don’t.

41% of U.S. adults without a high school diploma and 17% with high school diploma but without a college degree are not digitally literate.

Workers of color are overrepresented among workers without digital skills due to deep structural racism that creates gaps in income, wealth, and educational opportunity. 57% of Latinx workers, 50% of Black workers, 36% of Asian workers, and 23% of white workers have limited or no digital skills.

Our Solution:

Training, Tools, & Access

In partnership with our network of over 250 community organizations, Tech Goes Home empowers the community members we serve to use the internet as a tool for pursuing educational opportunities, finding jobs, accessing healthcare, fulfilling their essential needs from home, and making their voices heard. We welcome you to join us in achieving our goal of ensuring that everyone has the skills, tools, and access to take full advantage of the internet and the opportunities it offers.

A tech goes home instructor helps two learners set up their Chromebooks

A class of tech goes home learners sitting around a conference table smiling with their chromebooks