Editing Knowledge gap hypothesis (section)

==New communication technologies==
The [[internet]] has changed how people engage media.  The internet-based media has to be accessed with digital devices and accessed to the internet.   In the United States, there is a concern about the [[digital divide]] because not all Americans have access to the internet and devices.  With the hope that Internet would close the knowledge gap, it has exposed the following inequities:  access, motivation and cognitive ability.    The following research displays the link between access to internet and socioeconomic status, SES.

According to a Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults conducted Jan. 25-Feb. 8, 2021, Emily Vogels, a research associate focusing on internet and technology,  wrote, "More than 30 years after the debut of the World Wide Web, internet use, broadband adoption and smartphone ownership have grown rapidly for all Americans – including those who are less well-off financially. However, the digital lives of Americans with lower and higher incomes remain markedly different."<ref name="Vogels">{{Cite web |last=Vogels |first=Emily A. |title=Digital divide persists even as Americans with lower incomes make gains in tech adoption |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/06/22/digital-divide-persists-even-as-americans-with-lower-incomes-make-gains-in-tech-adoption/ |access-date=2023-12-13 |website=Pew Research Center |date=22 June 2021 |language=en-US}}</ref>

"Americans with higher household incomes are also more likely to have multiple devices that enable them to go online. Roughly six-in-ten adults living in households earning $100,000 or more a year (63%) report having home broadband services, a smartphone, a desktop or laptop computer and a tablet, compared with 23% of those living in lower-income households."<ref name="Vogels" />

Emily Vogels, continues, "The digital divide has been a central topic in tech circles for decades, with researchers, advocates and policymakers examining this issue. However, this topic has gained special attention during the coronavirus outbreak as much of daily life (such as work and school) moved online, leaving families with lower incomes more likely to face obstacles in navigating this increasing digital environment. For example, in April 2020, 59% of parents with lower incomes who had children in schools that were remote due to the pandemic said their children would likely face at least one of three digital obstacles to their schooling, such as a lack of reliable internet at home, no computer at home, or needing to use a smartphone to complete schoolwork."<ref name="Vogels" />