In times of physical distancing, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic, people are likely to turn to digital communication to replace in-person interactions. Yet persisting digital inequality suggests that not everyone will be equally able or disposed to increasing digital communication during a public health crisis. Using survey data from a national sample of US participants (N = 2,925) collected during the early months of the pandemic, we analyzed how sociodemographics, living arrangements, and Internet experiences and skills relate to increases and decreases in various digital communication methods. We find that people privileged in their socioeconomic status, their Internet skills and online experiences are more likely to increase and less likely to decrease digital communication during the pandemic. The findings illustrate how digital inequalities can put already disadvantaged groups at greater risk of diminished social contact during a public health crisis. We discuss the theoretical implications of our findings for digital inequality research, the practical implications for inclusive crisis responses, and directions for future research.

在保持身体距离的情况下，例如在 COVID-19 大流行期间，人们可能会转向数字通信来取代面对面的互动。然而，持续存在的数字不平等表明，在公共卫生危机期间，并非每个人都同样能够或愿意增加数字通信。使用来自美国参与者全国样本的调查数据（N= 2,925) 在大流行的最初几个月收集，我们分析了社会人口统计学、生活安排以及互联网经验和技能如何与各种数字通信方法的增加和减少相关。我们发现，在大流行期间，享有社会经济地位、互联网技能和在线经验的人更有可能增加数字通信，而不太可能减少数字通信。调查结果表明，在公共卫生危机期间，数字不平等如何使本已处于弱势地位的群体面临更大的社会联系减少风险。我们讨论了我们的发现对数字不平等研究的理论意义、对包容性危机应对的实际意义以及未来研究的方向。