Digitalization and Inequality: Digital Disparities and Mental Health among Adolescents in the U.S

Society is undergoing a fundamental transformation because of increasing digitalization, which offers great opportunities in all areas of social life, but it also poses new challenges for individuals. While the internet has provided children with access to a wealth of information and fostered creativity, it also poses risks to children’s well-being. Moreover, there are concerns about how digital technology may exacerbate the existing social disparities. Drawing on sociologist Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of ‘habitus’, this study takes an interdisciplinary approach by combining sociology, computer science, and public health to explore the potential of promoting mental health equity in an increasingly digitalized age. It proposes that children’s virtual connectivity is another ‘habitus’ in their life, layered with children’s social background factors in conjunction with their digital capital and digital engagement experiences, exerting influences on their mental health. We collected quantitative data with survey interviews from 301 adolescents in the U.S. Statistical models are processed to empirically examine the patterns in their digital engagement and mental health outcomes. The associations between children’s social background factors, digital engagement experience, and mental health outcomes are also examined. This study contributes to illuminating the dimensions of critical dialogues about building equitable societies to enhance individual flourishing in an increasingly digitalized era. It further enriches the current sociological literature on the analysis of the social impacts of new digital technologies by highlighting children’s experience of digital disparities.