【英文】哈佛大学肯尼迪学院报告：数字鸿沟的经济后果和代际影响（52页）

By conservative estimates, approximately 42 million households do not have  internet connections at minimum broadband speeds.33 When millions of  Americans cannot reliably access digital opportunities, it has a far-reaching  impact. As a foundational issue, struggles with high-speed connectivity impose  barriers to information and curb the ability to communicate in public squares,  many of which have exclusively transitioned online. Evidenced throughout the  COVID-19 pandemic, disparities in access to information can have a devastating  impact on households that struggle with reliable internet access while facing other  socioeconomic disadvantages.  Figure 2 details the demographic makeup of the ten richest and poorest states  and territories. 

Figure 3 documents which residents face digital inequities, not  having a broadband subscription and/or computing device at home. Data shows  that the populations who consistently lack access or the tools required to adopt are  concentrated in the American Indian/Alaska Native, Black, and Hispanic/Latino  columns.Nationwide, Indigenous populations (including Alaskan Native, Native American,  and Pacifc Islander), Black/African American, and Hispanic/ Latino American  households consistently have the lowest rates of broadband access and adoption.  Since limited digital literacy and knowledge about data and technology may  prevent some of the most disenfranchised households from being able to advocate  for themselves, it is imperative that public policy interventions center on both the  impact of disconnectedness and possibilities that could be unlocked with reliable  high-speed connectivity.