Urban/Rural Digital Divide Exists in Older Adults: Does It Vary by Racial/Ethnic Groups?

Eun Young Choi, Shaheen Kanthawala, Young Sun Kim, Hee Yun Lee · 2022 · Journal of Applied Gerontology

Summary. Older Americans in rural areas use the internet significantly less than urban counterparts, and this gap is worse for Black and Hispanic seniors. Using data from 17,372 Americans aged 50+, the study found that rural residence and racial/ethnic minority status both independently reduce internet use. Rural living creates an especially severe digital divide for older Black Americans compared to older White Americans, indicating that targeted interventions must address the compounded barriers facing rural minority seniors.

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Choi, E. Y., Kanthawala, S., Kim, Y. S., & Lee, H. Y.. (2022). Urban/Rural Digital Divide Exists in Older Adults: Does It Vary by Racial/Ethnic Groups?. Journal of Applied Gerontology. https://doi.org/10.1177/07334648211073605

@article{choi-2022-urban-rural-digital-divide-exists,
  title   = {Urban/Rural Digital Divide Exists in Older Adults: Does It Vary by Racial/Ethnic Groups?},
  author  = {Eun Young Choi and Shaheen Kanthawala and Young Sun Kim and Hee Yun Lee},
  journal = {Journal of Applied Gerontology},
  year    = {2022},
  doi     = {10.1177/07334648211073605},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1177/07334648211073605}
}

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TI  - Urban/Rural Digital Divide Exists in Older Adults: Does It Vary by Racial/Ethnic Groups?
AU  - Eun Young Choi
AU  - Shaheen Kanthawala
AU  - Young Sun Kim
AU  - Hee Yun Lee
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Details

DOI: 10.1177/07334648211073605
Countries: United States
Regions: North America
Categories: broadband-and-digital, rural-data-and-definitions
Added: 2026-04-28