Divided Cowboy Hat: Exploring the Digital Divide among Beef Cattle Producers around the Texas Panhandle

Abstract

The Texas Panhandle is crucial for beef production in America. However, how information and communication technologies are being used by cattle producers around the region in relation to the digital divide has been barely studied. Through phenomenological interviews, this study explored the technological realities of cattle producers. Findings revealed producers faced unequal technological realities based on the sizes of their operations, echoing pattern of the digital divide. According to the finding of the study, it is recommended that government or technology business entities in agriculture consider more carefully about if new Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are better than old practices and if such ICTs are compatible with producers’ experiences, values, and financial capacities.