以網際網路使用探討我國城鄉間之數位落差

Abstract

隨著社會的進步，生活型態已經轉為資訊化社會，新的社會型態使生活帶來便利、使資訊傳播更加快速，帶來許多好處，但是也存在不同族群間資訊化程度的差異，造成資訊化社會的負面影響－數位落差。我國國家通訊傳播委員會統計資料指出，我國網際網路使用數明顯上升，然而研考會資料中卻發現，高度偏遠及低度偏遠地區的資訊設備使用率，較低於非偏遠地區的使用率，我國確實存在城鄉數位落差。 本文利用台灣地區2005年、2006年、2008年及2009年個人與家戶數位落差之調查問卷，以「是否使用網際網路」作為數位落差之指標，估計偏遠與非偏遠地區的數位落差，並且分析不同樣本群城鄉之間的數位落差之差異，以及探討2007年縮減城鄉數位落差之村村有寬頻政策的成效。實證方法上是採取兩階段方式進行，第一階段利用二元變數進行Probit Model估計個人網際網路使用情形，第二階段則進一步利用Blinder-Oaxaca Decomposition Model，探討城鄉之間社經背景的不同，如何導致兩地區民眾使用資訊科技上的數位能力差異。 實證結果顯示，使用網路機率男性較女性高，而與家戶所得、教育水準呈現正相關，並與年齡、家庭人口呈現負相關，職務類型不同也對於數位落差有影響；兩城鄉之數位落差，可解釋部份占約八成以上，稟賦效果主要來自於此兩地區民眾間教育水準之差異，再者為工作相關之差異，其次為年齡與家戶所得，但性別與家庭人口數方面，對於城鄉之間的數位落差則無顯著影響；政策後期的數位落差普遍有呈現縮減情況，主要來自於教育水準、工作相關因素對於數位落差的稟賦效果影響減少。

Due to technology advancement, Taiwanhas converted to an informatization society. New social patterns bring many benefits through making life easier and rapid dissemination of information. But there is alsodifferences in technology adoption between the different ethnic groups, which cause the negative impactsthat we call the digital divide. The statistical data indicate that the use of internet in Taiwan significantly increased over years. However, rural areas have lower information equipment utilization rates, which shows that Taiwan does exist the digital divide between urban and rural areas. This study uses the internet usage as the measurement of digital capability to address several issues related to digital inequality between rural and urban areas. First, we investigate whether there exists digital divide between urban and rural residences. We then examine the urban-rural digital divide among different socio-demographic groups. Finally, we investigate the effectiveness in 2007 policy, which was designed to reduce digital divide. Data used in the empirical analysis consistsof people aged 15 and over drawn from the Taiwan Digital Divide Survey in 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009.The empirical analysis was conducted in a two-stage framework. The first stage analysis estimates internet usageusing the Probit Model, andthe second stage analysis decomposes the urban-rural digital divide using Blinder-Oaxaca Decomposition Model. Results show that the probability of internet usage is higher for male residents. A positive association is also found between internet usage and education and household income. In contrast, internet usage is negatively correlated with age and household size. In the results of the decomposition analysis, the explainted part in digital divide accounted for about 80% of the total digital inequality. Also, the digital divide is mainly driven by the differences in the differences in education level, followed by work-related, the age and household income differences. On contrast, gender and number of household members have no significant effect. Digital divide had been reduced after implementing of the policy, and the main reason is the reduction in endowment effect of education and work-related factors.