The effect of socio-economic differentiation on digitalization the case of Kadıköy and Bağcılar (Istanbul)

In socio-economical terms, global cities show no uniform characteristics. Even in the city of Istanbul, the socio-economic differentiation between districts separated by administrative divisions is clearly recognizable. In the study The Influence of Socio-economic Differentiation on Digitalization: Kadıköy and Bağcılar (Istanbul), the Bağcılar and Kadıköy districts were comparatively dealt with in regard to their low socio-economic standard and their high socio-economic standard, respectively. The fundamental question of this research is the influence socio-economic differentiation has on digital accessibility. The standard of digital accessibility, as well as the approach of the population living in districts, such as Bağcılar and Kadıköy, with different socioeconomic standards towards digitalization, was determined. In the study, criteria such as the approach of digital natives and digital immigrants towards technological advancements, the usage time of social media, as well as the possession of technological devices were determined. In this article, the ‘’correlative screening model’’ was used, which aimed to demonstrate the correlation between two or more variables. The participants of this research constitute the entire population over the age of 18, who reside in districts Bağcılar and Kadıköy. As a sample, participants residing in Bağcılar and Kadıköy were chosen from the survey conducted by the municipal administration of Istanbul (İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyesi) regarding the entirety of the city. 190 people living in Bağcılar and 248 people living in Kadıköy have participated in this survey. The participants’ answers to questions regarding digitalizations, usage of technology, and socio-economic status were assessed in the findings section. Based on the acquired results, chart sets were created with the help of the ArcGIS program. Both districts show similar results regarding the usage of technological products. However, it was found that the district Kadıköy is more progressive, specifically regarding the usage and usage time of virtual space applications, especially social media. It is displayed that the fact that people living in Kadıköy work in ‘white collar’ professions, whereas people living in Bağcılar work in ‘blue collar’ fields, has influenced the findings of this research.