Internet Cultures and Digital Inequalities

The attitudes and values of Internet users and non-users have frequently been studied, but they have rarely been used to identify broader patterns that could define general cultural orientations to the Internet. This chapter describes these orientations and how they might shape digital divides, such as why some people choose not to use the Internet. Specifically, the authors describe cultural values concerning the Internet in seven nations, and how these patterns of beliefs and values about the Internet can explain digital inequalities in Internet access and patterns of use. Their analysis explains why they believe that “cultures of the Internet” are as important as individual-level factors, such as age, education, and Internet skills, if not more so, in predicting patterns of (non)use of the Internet across all seven countries.