Socioeconomic+Barriers+to+Internet+Use+&+Social+Bookmarking

Though low socioeconomic status would not technically be considered a disability, there are certainly issues of accessibility to Web 2.0 technologies that apply in these cases. To use education as an example, many teachers might be very excited to utilize social bookmarking sites such as Diigo or Delicious for class research purposes. However, class time is always a precious resource, and many students will need to do online research (or commenting on other students' resources) outside of class for homework. If students are unable to access the internet at home, then they incur barriers to participation in these kinds of activities. Even if teachers are able to contain all of their Web 2.0 activities (including social bookmarking) within the school day, low-income school districts may not have enough computers to provide students with for their meaningful and thorough completion.

Luckily, as much as there remain socioeconomic barriers to entry into the online world, social bookmarking sites can also help to remove some obstacles. For example, Diigo allows users to maintain a personal library of annotated and tagged web sites that can be read offline if added to a reading list in advance. In this way, research opportunities for low-SES students can actually be expanded, as they can do limited research in class (not necessarily reading the sites, but skimming and adding them to their reading list) and then read them offline at home without access to the internet.

Of course, the challenge and strength of social bookmarking for students without sustained internet access represents a snapshot of an ever-evolving online culture. There are an increasing number of free online spaces (from libraries to coffee shops) which makes it easier to access the internet even without using it at home. On the flip side, many students still do not have access to personal computers or comparable electronic devices, which would be required to access resources from Diigo even offline. So, as with most technologies, teachers must be aware of and sensitive to barriers to their use and should plan carefully in advance in a way that is specific to the population they teach.