Digital Equity and Students’ Home Computing: A Hong Kong Study

This study explores digital equity by examining gender and socioeconomic differences in students’ use of computers at home. It presents research findings of a territory-wide survey of 825 eighth-graders from 36 secondary schools in Hong Kong. Results of MANOVAs and ANOVAs indicate significant socioeconomic and gender effects on the home computing of students, including (1) socioeconomic difference in access and hours of computer use, learning-related use and parental mediation in guidance and (2) gender difference in learning-related use, and parental mediation in guidance and worry. No interaction effect was observed. The research provides empirical evidence that will stimulate discussion on issues regarding digital equity and students’ home computing.