Abstract
The goal of this study was to take a comprehensive measure to the second-level digital divide, along with analyzing the various factors, and finding out the prominent factors. This study comes up with the hypothesis based on three Theoretical framework of Knowledge gap theory, Use and gratifications theory, Self-efficacy and attitude theory. Based on a survey on students of Jinan University (N=302), Multiple linear regression shows that the sensibility factors of Internet use, including the attitude toward the Internet and the Internet self-efficacy, have significant positive effects on the level of Internet use, including the time of Internet use and the index of Internet use about studying and working.
Highlights
Digital divide can be divided to two kinds: The first Internet access on the digital divide refers to the gap, known as "accessing divide"; the second-level digital divide exists between the Internet uses, known as "using divides"
As the dependent variable is continuous variable, independent variable is category variables or a continuous variable, the use of multiple linear regression analysis of the time of Internet use and Internet use index about learning and working as the dependent variable regression variables respectively, table 3 is as following: Table 3 show that the predictors factors of five independent variables which are family socio-economic background variables, Knowledge variables, Using the media to meet the demand variables, Attitude and self-efficacy variables, demographic variables on college students predicts 18.5%of the time of Internet use, while predicting 20.6% of Internet use index about learning and working
The research shows that hypothesis 2 is partly through tested, which was conducted from the theoretical framework of knowledge gaps; hypothesis 6 is partly through tested, which was conducted from the theoretical framework of Uses and gratifications
Summary
Digital divide can be divided to two kinds: The first Internet access on the digital divide refers to the gap, known as "accessing divide"; the second-level digital divide exists between the Internet uses, known as "using divides". For the second-level digital divide, the study in western country mainly focuses on the following aspects: (1) the socio-demographic factors of Internet use. Fox and Madden (2005) found that young people tend to use more communication and interaction tools compared with other age groups based on the analysis of age between different Internet users. Based on the analysis of socio-economic status, Madden and Van Dijk (2005) found that people in high-level socio-economic status use more advanced Internet tools in order to achieve access to information, continuous learning and self-service purposes. The population in the lower socio-economic status tends to use the Internet as a tool for entertainment and chat (Madden, 2003; Van Dijk, 2005). Other studies pointed out that compared with age, gender and skills, self-confidence has a weaker
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