Californians and Information Technology.

Printer-friendly versionSend to friend

PPIC Statewide Surveys recently released a report on Californians and Information Technology, second in an annual series, produced in collaboration with the California Emerging Technology Fund and ZeroDivide.

The purpose of the series is to inform policymakers, encourage discussion, and raise public awareness about information technology issues. The current survey focuses on trends in information technology access and use, and on public perceptions and attitudes about current policy issues.

Survey data is used to examine California trends over time, differences between California and the U.S. as a whole, and to increase our understanding of the “digital divide” in California. National data come from the Pew Internet & American Life Project.

Some findings of the current survey:

• The share of Californians with broadband is up 7 points since last year, with Internet use increasing by 6 points, and Internet access at home by 4 points.
• A large majority of Californians, 83 percent, believe access to high-speed broadband is important, including 76 percent without broadband themselves.
• Latinos in California still lag well behind whites, blacks, and Asians in measures such as broadband adoption.

This telephone survey of 2,502 California adults was conducted from June 2 to June 16 in five languages, with individuals reached by landline and cellular telephone. As with the nation as a whole, compared to last year there are more Californians with Internet (63% to 67%) and broadband service (55% to 62%) at home; strong differences by education, income, race/ethnicity, and region remain. Today, half or more of California adults use the Internet for getting news, shopping, visiting government websites and accessing government services, and for health and community information. Fewer are using the Internet for social networking, to work on their own blogs, or to use Twitter, an online social networking tool.

Most Californians believe it is important to have access to the Internet (93%) and high-speed broadband Internet (83%) and say they are comfortable using the tools of modern technology (84%). Majorities say it is important that federal stimulus funds be spent on expanding the access and availability of the state’s broadband Internet technologies and on training programs that teach Californians how to use these technologies. Majorities of adults also believe that Californians in rural and lower-income areas have less access to broadband Internet technology, and many express concern about the digital divide between urban and rural areas and between lower-income and higher-income populations.

To read the full report 

To read the press release and summary reports, simply click on the links below:

Press Release

California's Digital Divide

Direction of the State

Economic Outlook