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Study: Digital gap widens between Jews, Arabs

Internet use among Israeli Arabs much lower than Israeli Jews, two new research works reveal

Internet use is growing in the Arab sector, but so is the digital gap in comparison with Israeli Jews according to two new studies that are to be presented at the yearly convention of the Israel Internet Association to be held at the Kfar Maccabiah Hotel in Ramat Gan at the end of the month.

 

The first study was conducted by Asmaa Ganayem, director of technology center at Al-Qasemi Academic College of Education in Baka el-Gharbiya, with the guidance of Professor Sheizaf Rafaeli and Professor Faisal Azaiza from the University of Haifa. The second study was carried out by Professor Gustavo Mesch from the University of Haifa, with the assistance of Dr. Ilan Talmud and Mided Avidar.

 

Genayem's research indicated that the digital gap is evidenced by the levels of access to the Internet. Among the Jewish population, the percentage of houses connected to the Internet jumped from 41.1% in 2002 to 60.3% in 2005. Among Arab households, the increase was much less sharp: from 17.1% in 2002 to 23.3% in 2005.

 

Statistics from 2007 indicate that use of the World Wide Web continue to increase although the gap between Arab and Jewish communities remains. 72.5% of Jews use the Internet compared with 52.5% of Arabs.

 

Negative attitude towards technology

Professor Mesch's research pointed to a possible explanation for the low percentage of Arab usage of the Internet saying the lack of exposure to the technology at workplaces in the Arab sector could be to blame. In addition, he added that there is a negative attitude towards new technology in the Arab sector, more so than in the Jewish sector. This, he said, influenced the statistics on Internet usage more than salary, education or amount of hours spent at work.

 

"A lot of work needs to be done with Arabs in Israel in order to push forward the educated use of the Internet and to reduce the digital gap," researcher Asmaa Genayem said.

 

"Improving the condition of the (Internet) infrastructure in Arab towns, adopting the use of the Web in education systems and integrating it into schoolwork, technical support centers, adding the Arabic language to (web) content and especially to government sites, integrating Arab workers into the high-tech industry – these are just some of the ideas and possibilities that can be done in order to advance the issue," she said. 

 


פרסום ראשון: 02.21.08, 13:54
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