A new report from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that the racial gap in household computer and internet use is narrowing. The racial gap has declined significantly since home computers and access to the Internet have become commonplace. But a racial gap remains.
In 2016, 89.9 percent of non-Hispanic White households had a computer in the home. For Blacks, 84.1 percent of all households had a home computer. This was up from 80.1 percent in 2015.
Some 80.9 percent of White households had a desktop or laptop computer compared to 63.9 percent of Black households. Nearly 60 percent of White households had a tablet computer compared to 48.5 percent of Black households.
In 2015, 83.9 percent of all White households had a contract to provide Internet access. For Blacks, 72.6 percent had a subscription to an Internet service. A year earlier, only 64.9 percent of Blacks had an internet subscription for their household. For both Blacks and Whites, almost all of the Internet contracts were for broadband service.
About 75 percent of Black and White households had smartphones.
Computer internet access in the home is viewed as more beneficial and efficient than smartphones for studying, completing homework, applying for jobs, and searching for the right college or university to attend.
The full report, Computer and Internet Use in the United States: 2016, may be downloaded by clicking here.
