Effects on class inequality

• London School of Economics (LSE)

  • Middle-class children have greater access to the World Wide Web and are more likely to use its resources
  • Working-class children are becoming victims of a digital divide due to their parents' lack of internet literacy
  • Could harm their education and job prospects
• Bourdieu

  • Middle-class parents hold more cultural capital than working-class parents who aren't 'internet-literate'
  • Digital knowledge may contribute to cultural capital
• Castells

  • Access to the internet has become a form of capital
  • Those not included in 'networked global societies' are excluded and marginalised - less access to jobs, friends, and information
  • Internet is a democratic approach to information sharing - e.g. Wikipedia
  • Could also be used to reduce inequality and overthrown oppressive governments
• Sutton Trust 2020

  • 50% of private school teachers felt prepared to do video lessons
  • 40% of state teachers in contrast
• Eton is giving out free access to its online learning platform, BBC is producing daily online lessons for students.
• Boyle

  • New form of stratification - digital divide
  • 40% of homes did not have a digital TV in 2015
  • 60% had reliable internet access
  • Must take control of digital media and become 'digital citizens' instead of 'digital consumers'