Internet and Web use in the U.S.
Communications of the ACM
The HomeNet field trial of residential Internet services
Communications of the ACM
Bringing non-adopters along: the challenge facing the PC industry
Communications of the ACM - Digital rights management
Information and Communication: Alternative Uses of the Internet in Households
Information Systems Research
Journal of Management Information Systems
The adoption of virtual banking: an empirical study
International Journal of Information Management: The Journal for Information Professionals
EGOV'10 Proceedings of the 9th IFIP WG 8.5 international conference on Electronic government
Assessing the regional digital divide across the European Union-27
Telecommunications Policy
Conceptualizing and Testing a Social Cognitive Model of the Digital Divide
Information Systems Research
Impact of network effects and diffusion channels on home computer adoption
Decision Support Systems
UAHCI'11 Proceedings of the 6th international conference on Universal access in human-computer interaction: users diversity - Volume Part II
User disposition and extent of Web utilization: A trait hierarchy approach
International Journal of Human-Computer Studies
Information Technology and Management - Special issue on New Theories and Methods for Technology Adoption Research
The impact of ICT development on the global digital divide
Electronic Commerce Research and Applications
The Effects of Rewarding User Engagement: The Case of Facebook Apps
Information Systems Research
International Journal of Business Information Systems
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Given the increasingly important role of the Internet in education, healthcare, and other essential services, it is important that we develop an understanding of the “digital divide.” Despite the widespread diffusion of the Web and related technologies, pockets remain where the Internet is used sparingly, if at all. There are large geographic variations, as well as variations across ethnic and racial lines. Prior research suggests that individual, household, and regional differences are responsible for this disparity. We argue for an alternative explanation: Individual choice is subject to social influence (“peer effects”) that emanates from geographic proximity; this influence is the cause of the excess variation. We test this assertion with empirical analysis of a data set compiled from a number of sources. We find, first, that widespread Internet use among people who live in proximity has a direct effect on an individual's propensity to go online. Using data on residential segregation, we test the proposition that the Internet usage patterns of people who live in more ethnically isolated regions will more closely resemble usage patterns of their ethnic group. Finally, we examine the moderating impact of housing density and directly measured social interactions on the relationship between Internet use and peer effects. Results are consistent across analyses and provide strong evidence of peer effects, suggesting that individual Internet use is influenced by local patterns of usage. Implications for public policy and the diffusion of the Internet are discussed.