RACE AND INTERNET USAGE
Cultural Diversity
The Internet should foster diversity...
All demographic surveys of Internet use show users to be predominately white. However, it has been shown that the lack of minorities on the Internet is not the same for all minority groups. In college courses involving Internet use, the number of Asian students was overrepresented in relation to the total school population. But the African American, Hispanic, and Native American groups were drastically underrepresented (Schwalm, 1995, 14).
This is not to say that no minorities are using the Internet. Jesse Jackson, leader of the Rainbow Coalition, is starting a program on the Internet in which he hopes to link minority customers with companies who have good minority employment records so that customers can use the services of these companies (Scherer, 1997, 8).
Minorities can benefit greatly from the Internet. Individuals who might never be able to share their feelings and experiences with others in their culture can access the Internet and have a global culture pool to draw from (Lucek, 1995, 10).
Is the net racist? It would seem to be. These findings would support stereotypical claims about cultures. But if the net is to be a place without boundaries, we must break down the racial barriers which have been established. Is that possible? It would mean that culturally and socially established norms would have to be called into question. People would have to work together for equality in gaining access. This would be a positive step for national and international race relations. But is it idealistic? Could the net ever be equal to all races and sexes? We are yet to find any place that is truly equal.
