Not pessimistic, just reserved.

Anna's inclusion of the New Yorker article is extraordinarily relevant. Having read the article before, I kept having those same thoughts while reading Schlozman. The Internet is often seen in popular thinking as the great equalizer, but I think Schlozman convincingly shows that we should be hesitant to make such claims. I don't think Schlozman is as pessimistic as Marianne believes, however. The research is very tempered and reserved with its findings, and the researchers consistently make it clear to the reader that the Internet is still a young institution and that the true effects may not yet be discernible. Marianna contends that the Internet does in fact increase participation, and uses Facebook to make that point. I feel the researchers would agree with that point. Their data showed that among the young (Facebook users), political participation did increase via the Internet.

What causes the most attention is the lack of equalizing effects that the Internet has on SES. The authors argue that the Internet is a cheaper, easier, and more convenient access entry to politics than many traditional venues, yet level of participation on the Internet is positively related to SES, and therefore participation off the Internet. The Internet increases participation it seems, only among those who are already participating. An important finding of theirs that drives this point home is the difference between online and offline participation. The authors found that of those who participate online, 87% of them also participate offline, but of those who participate offline, only 57% of them also participate online. It seems that the Internet is some sort of threshold, or important designator of participation. Those who use the Internet, are more likely to participate in anything, regardless of venue.

How do we combat this inequality that is reflected in Internet use? The researchers hypothesize that as the older generations are replaced by younger generations, Internet use will become more equalized and the participation gaps won't be as evident. If we are going to reach those lower on SES measures, however, more action is needed besides waiting for people to get older. Teaching younger students about Internet use, possibly during social studies or government classes, and especially at lower SES school systems, could further facilitate the shrinking in participation gap. The authors make it clear that people don't participate because "[t]hey can’t; they don’t want to; and nobody asked" -- Let's ask.