You got a hole in your belly and a phone in your hand: How US government phone subsidies shape the search for employment

Abstract

Many of the tasks involved in looking for a job these days involve sharing and storing digital data. Digital technology is now required for job seekers to research employers, store resumes, complete applications, and schedule interviews. What is the employment process for people who are living on the poverty line, without reliable access to the Internet or mobile phones? We focus on technology maintenance, the continuous work required to stay digitally connected, to understand how low-income job seekers in northern California manage the circulation and storage of information. We incorporate the concept of delegation from Latour to explore how people consciously consider who or what entities are responsible for technology maintenance, as this varies by government policies related to digital subsidies. This article draws novel connections between the influence of government policy on technology maintenance and how both the policies and digital inequalities shape impoverished job seekers’ choices around sharing and storage practices.

The socio-economic argument for the human right to internet access

“…One study finds thatResumes must be stored online, applications must be completed online, and the recommendations, research, and scheduling necessary to land a job all typically involve access to computers, Internet, and cellphones. In other words, to be employed in the United States today, one is presumed to have reliable access to a range of digital technologies that enable digital storage as part of the employment process (Gershon and Gonzales, 2021: 854).The effects of digital poverty on employment are therefore parallel to the ones on housing. Those without online access are comparatively and objectionably disadvantaged because they are limited in their access to real-time information concerning open posts and channels of communication with potential employers.…”

“…Resumes must be stored online, applications must be completed online, and the recommendations, research, and scheduling necessary to land a job all typically involve access to computers, Internet, and cellphones. In other words, to be employed in the United States today, one is presumed to have reliable access to a range of digital technologies that enable digital storage as part of the employment process (Gershon and Gonzales, 2021: 854).…”

Social, seamless, just, and open: Advancing mobile communication research

“…In addition to ensuring that research on the Global South continues to gain footholds in our “international” journals and conferences, we also need to think about greater diversity within Western research on mobile phone use to include those in rural areas and of lower income. For example, Amy Gonzales’ (2016) research on technology maintenance is a helpful example of where this work could go (Gershon and Gonzales, 2021). This research suggests people who are low income spend a lot of their resources to maintain mobile connectivity.…”

Creating a Digital Bridge: Lessons and policy implications from a technology access and distribution program for low-income job seekers

“…Online hiring as well as other essential services such as government benefits and school systems create additional barriers to individuals accessing basic, critical resources (Dailey et al, 2010, p. 514). Employers have created systems that assume a person has secure, personal space with stable electricity, sufficient internet connection, mobile phone, and a functional computer (Gershon & Gonzales, 2021). Even for those who own digital technologies and have personal access to the internet, low-income users "experience cycles of dependable instability" due to the inability to pay or broken technology (Gonzales, 2016).…”

“…Although having public, in-person community access is critical (Sweeney & Rhinesmith, 2017), individuals that solely rely on public access are more vulnerable to some privacy and security risks such as having sensitive financial and health information in public view and on shared devices (Gangadharan, 2017). For low-income job seekers, relying on the public library as the sole location to charge their phones, use computers, and connect to the internet puts them at a disadvantage against those job seekers with homes with consistent access to technology (Gershon & Gonzales, 2021). Pre-pandemic users were also reliant upon center hours, computer time limits, and having access to transportation and childcare.…”