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Rich and poor teenagers use the web differently – here's what this is doing to inequality

Poorer teenagers spend roughly the same time online as their wealthier classmates. But they're using this time differently, and it's counting against them.

www.weforum.org

In many countries, young people from wealthy and poor backgrounds spend roughly the same amount of time online. But it’s how they’re using the internet, not how long they’re using it that really matters.

This is according to new research from the OECD, which found that richer teenagers were more likely to use the internet to search for information or to read news rather than to chat or play video games.

But in all countries, what students do with computers, from using e-mail to reading news, is directly linked to their “socio-economic status” with inequality continuing, even in countries where all young people have easy access to the internet.

“Equal access does imply equal opportunities,” says the report, which goes on to point out that while anyone can use the internet to learn about the world, improve their skills or apply for a well-paid job, disadvantaged students are less likely to be aware of the opportunities that digital technology offers.

“They may not have the knowledge or skills required to turn online opportunities into real opportunities,” the report says.