City governments incorporate ICTs into government services to improve citizen participation and access to those services. Too much dependence on technology, however, can lead to concerns about creating a digital divide between different groups of citizens. The potential for digital inequality is a critical issue that can be exacerbated by insufficient attention being paid to vulnerabilities across communities. Given that socio-economically vulnerable populations are the ones who need government services the most, especially during disaster events, it is critical to investigate the extent to which digital inequality is an issue for technology-based government services. With this in mind, this paper analyzes the use of different technology-enabled access options for a representative eGovernment service system, the New York City 311 service system, in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Two sets of socio-economically distinct locations in New York City are compared, using average income as a proxy for vulnerability, to draw conclusions about potential inequalities in such a system during a crisis.
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Empirical insights on technology use for navigating human services
A considerable portion of the US population still lacks access to technology, which causes challenges for marginalized communities to access information and services. Research on the digital divide exists in various contexts, but few have examined it in the context of human services. This study examines the impact of socioeconomic status on the methods of communication used when searching for service-related information. We analyzed both quantitative and qualitative data collected from 63 low-income and/or current human service users in Albany, New York. Education showed positive associations with smartphone ownership and personal computer use. Income was found only significant for tablet use. Non-whites were more likely to use mobile apps to web browsers compared to whites. Qualitative analysis revealed three key themes (i.e., availability, ease of use, and usefulness) as influencers of individual preference of methods. Our findings suggest that the digital divide is not merely about the income level but also educational background and culture. Human service professionals need to consider multiple channels to reach targeted populations for service delivery. Particularly, the collaboration between service providers and public libraries is worth examining to ensure the physical access and skills training for those who experience the digital divide at multiple levels.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1737443
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10196235
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Technology in Human Services
- ISSN:
- 1522-8835
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 1 to 21
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1080/15228835.2020.1789025
