In New "Digital Divide," Poorer Students More Likely To "Waste Time" With Devices

Maureen Downey writes at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (6/1, 209K) "Get Schooled" blog, "When technology first began to infiltrate American childhoods, there were fears of a digital divide; children from lower-income families would not have access to the emerging new technologies because of the cost and thus fall behind their more affluent peers whose families could afford cell phones, computers and video game systems." However, now educators are reporting "a new divide: Poorer kids are wasting more time on their assorted electronic and computer gadgets than more affluent peers." Downey notes that less affluent families lack the resources to monitor that their children are using their devices for educational pursuits instead of entertainment.