Examining the drivers of internet use among the poor: The case of Bahía Blanca city in Argentina

Abstract

This paper aims to examine the determinants of Internet use across individuals from poor neighborhoods in Argentina. There are many socio-economic factors that explain individual ICT use, such as income, education, and location, among others. A critical determinant of ICT use is ICT access, which is not equally distributed within countries. There are also other aspects such as technology complementarities and the presence of infomediaries. To achieve this goal, we use a survey conducted to 381 households and 1459 individuals living in poor neighborhoods from Bahia Blanca, Argentina. By estimating a probit model and controlling for sample selection, we obtain that an individual is more likely to use Internet if he/she uses a computer, assists to school, lives in a neighborhood with low Internet access but medium Internet use levels on average, and lives with a family that uses Internet. Internet access only partially determines internet use among the poor.