Gender digital divide in a patriarchal society: what can we learn from Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition?

Based on the self-reported usage time, this paper aims at analyzing the gender differences in computer and internet use at home. Using data from the 2012 Survey of Digital Divide in Taiwan, we apply a regression-based decomposition method to identify the underlying causes of observed usage differential between males and females. Conditioned on adoption, it is found that compared with their high-income counterparts, low-income females in Taiwan do not spend more time on internet surfing as a result of the high opportunity cost of leisure time. A further decomposition analysis suggests while the gender-specific factors are not the main causes of gender differences in computer and internet use, differences in internet experience and opportunity cost of leisure time between the two gender groups are root causes of observed gender usage differential. The present study adds to the literature by providing a framework that can be easily extended to understanding the root causes, such as that of gender digital divide, for patriarchal societies where female self-stereotyping is a pronounced problem.