A Comparative Study of China and U.S.: The Influence of Digital Divide on Education Inequality and Its Mitigating Policies

Abstract

Under the digital age, the method of learning expanded to the virtual setting. With resources shared through online platforms, digital divide became a new problem in achieving education equality. This paper intends to examine the effect of digital divide on educational system in the U.S. and China from a comparative perspective. This study adopts literature review as its research method. Types of digital divide that occurs in the two countries showcase some similarities, yet the factors attributing to the educational digital divide varies widely. Educational divide exists in different social groups. Systematic and cultural differences are the root behind these factors. In the U.S., digital divide occurred due to differences at multiple levels: race, state, schools, and family SES. In China, digital divide occurs due to geological divergence, generational division, and social class. The root Moreover, mitigating policies from the two countries illustrate how the U.S. and China access the issue from different perspective. The root behind such contrast is the difference in the two countries social system and cultural attitudes. The two countries can inspire each other and the world in creating better solutions to solve this new form of education inequality.