Social support and digital inequality: Does Internet use magnify or mitigate traditional inequities in support availability?

ABSTRACT

This study tested competing predictions about the implications of Internet use for traditional inequities in social support availability. Using survey data collected as part of the Pew Internet and American Life Project, inequities in social support availability stemming from demographic and network-related factors were examined among non-users, Internet users, and Internet users who also participated in a social network site (SNS). The results offered evidence consistent with the social compensation perspective. Traditional inequities in support availability related to age, race, and total network size persisted among respondents who did not use the Internet, but were less evident or absent among Internet users and/or Internet users who participated in an SNS. Using the Internet to connect with others appeared to be an important mechanism through which inequality in support availability was mitigated.

KEYWORDS:

• Internet use
• social support
• Internet access
• digital inequality
• Internet non-users
• social compensation
• social enhancement
• social media

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Lee Rainie of the Pew Internet and American Life Project for making available the data used in this study as well as the editor and three anonymous reviewers for their helpful feedback.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. Although the interactions comparing Internet users and non-users were not statistically significant, the simple slopes for non-users are provided for reference. White non-users reported greater overall support availability than non-White non-users (β = .12, t = 2.66, p = .01), but the difference in tangible support was not statistically significant (β = .03, t = 0.75, p = .46).

2. Although the interactions comparing Internet and SNS users were not significant, the simple slopes for SNS users are provided for reference. Among Internet users who participated in an SNS, total network size was positively associated with overall support (β = .11 t = 2.89, p = .004), emotional support (β = .08, t = 2.09, p = .04), and tangible support (β = .09, t = 2.42, p = .02).

3. For reference, the relationship between core network size and emotional support among non-users was statistically significant (β = .11, t = 2.24, p = .03).

4. For reference, married non-users reported greater tangible support than non-married non-users (β = .29, t = 6.56, p < .001).