Age and the Digital Divide

Abstract

The digital divide is putting older workers at a disadvantage in gaining access and maintaining job opportunities. Despite this concern, little research has examined the extent that the digital divide (i.e., the gap between those who have access and can use the Internet and those who do not) (Hoffman & Novak, 1998) affects employment-related outcomes. Therefore, the primary purposes of this paper are to assess the extent that there are age differences in the digital divide, and examine the influence of these differences on employment opportunities. We present a model to guide research, offer hypotheses, and consider implications for future research and practice.