The use of social media by Polish and Slovak students and their digital competences

Abstract

In this study, the main goal is to indicate the differences between the use of SM by Polish and Slovak students and the relationship between the use of SM and digital competences. A questionnaire survey conducted among Polish and Slovak students of technical faculties was used to obtain the data. The analysis was performed using the methods of multivariate statistical analysis. The study was conducted in October-December 2018 in parallel in Poland and Slovakia. In the course of the study, 172 questionnaires were returned from students from Poland and 171 from students from Slovakia, representing a manoeuvrability of 49% and 65% respectively. The main finding of the research on the use of SM is the more frequent use of SM by Slovak students. The results showed that Twitter and Instagram (after Facebook, which was used by over 98% of respondents) are more often (significantly) used by Slovak students, and YouTube and WhatsApp by Polish students. Our results also show that information competences demonstrate much less correlation with the use of social media compared to IT competences. The presented research results aim to fill the gap focusing on finding a relationship between the use of SM and digital competences. This approach results primarily from the universal use of SM and the need to develop competences that are the basis for effective functioning in the professional and private sphere in the era of digitization.