NEW RESEARCH REPORT - April 2024

From Fear to Confidence: The Digital Skills Journey of Underserved Women

by Norma E. Fernandez, CEO of EveryoneOn and Marjorie & Charles Benton Opportunity Fund fellow

published by Benton Institute for Broadband & Society

Read the full study here. Read the executive summary here (English) and here (Spanish).

Watch the webinar recording below.

Summary

Though the pandemic presented an opportunity for researchers to study the barriers to broadband adoption and digital equity (e.g., access to robust internet infrastructure and affordable internet options, and digital skills training programs), very little is known about the everyday experiences of underserved Latinas and African American/Black women in the U.S. who have been left out of digital inclusion services due to systemic discrimination. They are the women we serve at EveryoneOn.

As a Marjorie & Charles Benton Opportunity Fund fellow, Norma E. Fernandez conducted a pilot study to learn how underserved women experience the digital divide. Twenty-six interviews and 100 survey responses resulted in robust data from the African American/Black women and Latinas in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and Milwaukee who participated in EveryoneOn’s Digital Connections program, a digital skills training. The research uncovers the motivators, challenges and outcomes encountered by these women in their pursuit of digital literacy and broadband adoption.

Major Themes

Four key themes emerged from study participants’ narratives that transcended racial and ethnic boundaries.

Theme 1: Learning, Helping Others and Independence Are Motivators to Build Digital Literacy and Skills

Participants conveyed their aspirations to enhance their digital skills because they recognize the imperative to stay connected, as well as the requisite know-how to remain current with technology to avoid falling behind in society’s fast-paced digital landscape. Overall, the women articulated three primary motivations behind developing their digital skills: 1) a profound eagerness to feel comfortable navigating the internet; 2) a keen interest in enhancing opportunities not only for themselves but also for their families and communities; and 3) a desire to reduce reliance on others, such as their children and friends, for help conducting online activities.

Theme 2: Family, Friends and Community Support Broadband Adoption and Learning

The women’s participation in digital skills training was notably facilitated by robust family support. In particular, participants’ children showed excitement about their parents’ involvement in their digital skills development journey. Also, community partners emerged as key facilitators, emphasizing the importance of collaborative efforts, particularly with anchor institutions, to promote women’s access to digital skills training.

Theme 3: Juggling Fear, Domestic/Household Responsibilities and Unaffordable Internet Prices Are Realities

When asked what challenges, if any, the women faced in adopting broadband and participating in digital skills trainings, several stood out. First, there is a universal fear about the internet and computers. Second, while not explicitly framed as challenges, most women shared the need to organize domestic responsibilities—such as preparing meals, doing laundry, and caring for parents—to accommodate their attendance at the trainings. Lastly, the majority of women (59 percent) find it somewhat difficult to pay their current internet bill, and 17 percent find it very difficult. This last challenge is significant, given the implications of lacking or having limited connectivity.

Theme 4: Digital Skills Foster Confidence in Life

The women attended the digital skills training program to learn diverse tasks, such as using email to communicate with their children’s teachers, exploring new recipes online, and creating flyers for their volunteer activities. Their successful acquisition of these skills translated into a newfound confidence that extended beyond their digital endeavors. Remarkably, following their participation in the training, every interviewee, without exception, expressed heightened empowerment and overall confidence. Several women expressed sentiments such as “I feel like I can do anything now!”

Webinar

View the webinar recording below for a lively discussion about the research insights and why they matter for women living in under-resourced communities across the U.S.