A study of the digital divide in the current phase of the information age: The moderating effect of smartphones

In this study, we evaluate the digital divide in a Korean context, where most people own smartphones. Specifically, we seek to understand how the proliferation of smartphones affects the digital divide across particular demographic categories. The independent variables used for this study were gender, age, income, education, and employment status. These variables were used to predict digital skills or usage access, as moderated by smartphone use. Results indicate that smartphone use reduces the digital divide across participants of different ages, education levels, occupations, and income levels. These results suggest that policies associated with digital gaps should seek to increase the usage rate and accessibility of smartphones.