community
fragment c: minorities and the internet
While virtual communities may offer minority groups a meeting
ground, many are still without Internet access. "According
to the U.S. Department of Commerce...the 2000 study showed that minorities,
senior citizens, rural residents, those with limited education
and those who earn lower incomes were less likely to have Internet
and computer access" (Cotter). Luckily,
it appears that gap is narrowing:
Four years ago, the percentage of minorities online lagged
behind whites. But a study issued this week by the Pew Research
Center found that the gap has shrunk. Now, nearly two-thirds
of whites and Hispanics and 61 percent of blacks use the Internet . The
study also found that nearly one-third of Hispanics log on for
news--a larger percentage than whites or blacks (Nelson).
Unaccounted for in this study, however, are the invisible minorities:
the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and asexual population. Invisible,
or sexual, minorities have the greatest need for virtual refuges. Under
many circumstances, a virtual refuge is the only outlet or, on
a lesser scale, "meeting place" for sexual minorities as members
are few and far between. For this case study, we will look
at a virtual community called AVEN, or the Asexuality Visibility
and Education Network. Asexuality represents the smallest
and most physically dislocated sexual minority group and
is therefore a prime subject.
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