With a little help from my friends : an analysis of the role of social support in digital inequalities
- Author
- Cédric Courtois and Pieter Verdegem (UGent)
- Organization
- Abstract
- This article reports an empirical study on the composition and socio-economic background of social support networks and their moderating role in explaining digital inequalities. It conceptually draws upon and empirically reaffirms Van Dijk's multiple access model, acknowledging motivational, material, skill and usage divides, while focussing on the under-researched issue of social support as indispensible source of social learning. Besides a small group of self-reliants, the results indicate a pattern of relatively socially disadvantaged domestic support receivers, characterized by lower digital resources. A second social support pattern points to a relatively socially advantaged non-domestic support receivers (i.e. friends/colleagues), high in digital resources. Drawing upon the concept of homophily in social networks, the results indicate a link between offline and online exclusion, perpetuating digital inequalities.
- Keywords
- digital divides, social learning, support networks, Digital inequalities, social support, INTERNET USE, COGNITIVE APPROACH, MEDIA USE, DIVIDE, ADULTS, SKILLS, EDUCATION, NETWORKS, GENDER, USAGE
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Citation
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication: http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-5731075
- MLA
- Courtois, Cédric, and Pieter Verdegem. “With a Little Help from My Friends : An Analysis of the Role of Social Support in Digital Inequalities.” NEW MEDIA & SOCIETY, vol. 18, no. 8, 2016, pp. 1508–27, doi:10.1177/1461444814562162.
- APA
- Courtois, C., & Verdegem, P. (2016). With a little help from my friends : an analysis of the role of social support in digital inequalities. NEW MEDIA & SOCIETY, 18(8), 1508–1527. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444814562162
- Chicago author-date
- Courtois, Cédric, and Pieter Verdegem. 2016. “With a Little Help from My Friends : An Analysis of the Role of Social Support in Digital Inequalities.” NEW MEDIA & SOCIETY 18 (8): 1508–27. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444814562162.
- Chicago author-date (all authors)
- Courtois, Cédric, and Pieter Verdegem. 2016. “With a Little Help from My Friends : An Analysis of the Role of Social Support in Digital Inequalities.” NEW MEDIA & SOCIETY 18 (8): 1508–1527. doi:10.1177/1461444814562162.
- Vancouver
- 1.Courtois C, Verdegem P. With a little help from my friends : an analysis of the role of social support in digital inequalities. NEW MEDIA & SOCIETY. 2016;18(8):1508–27.
- IEEE
- [1]C. Courtois and P. Verdegem, “With a little help from my friends : an analysis of the role of social support in digital inequalities,” NEW MEDIA & SOCIETY, vol. 18, no. 8, pp. 1508–1527, 2016.
@article{5731075,
abstract = {{This article reports an empirical study on the composition and socio-economic background of social support networks and their moderating role in explaining digital inequalities. It conceptually draws upon and empirically reaffirms Van Dijk's multiple access model, acknowledging motivational, material, skill and usage divides, while focussing on the under-researched issue of social support as indispensible source of social learning. Besides a small group of self-reliants, the results indicate a pattern of relatively socially disadvantaged domestic support receivers, characterized by lower digital resources. A second social support pattern points to a relatively socially advantaged non-domestic support receivers (i.e. friends/colleagues), high in digital resources. Drawing upon the concept of homophily in social networks, the results indicate a link between offline and online exclusion, perpetuating digital inequalities.}},
author = {{Courtois, Cédric and Verdegem, Pieter}},
issn = {{1461-4448}},
journal = {{NEW MEDIA & SOCIETY}},
keywords = {{digital divides,social learning,support networks,Digital inequalities,social support,INTERNET USE,COGNITIVE APPROACH,MEDIA USE,DIVIDE,ADULTS,SKILLS,EDUCATION,NETWORKS,GENDER,USAGE}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{8}},
pages = {{1508--1527}},
title = {{With a little help from my friends : an analysis of the role of social support in digital inequalities}},
url = {{http://doi.org/10.1177/1461444814562162}},
volume = {{18}},
year = {{2016}},
}
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