Changes In Internet Use Research Articles

Examining the interplay between internet use disorder tendencies and well-being in relation to sofalizing during the COVID-19 pandemic

AimsThe present study investigated the potential links between Internet Use Disorder tendencies, well-being and the impact of COVID-19 on Internet usage patterns. MethodA sample of 2498 participants filled out the Compulsive Internet Use Scale (CIUS), the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS; the cognitive facet of well-being) and the Sofalizing Scale which comprises the Online Displacement and Social Compensation dimensions. Participants were also asked to report the extent to which changes in Internet use occurred due to COVID-19 pandemic (i.e., reductions, no changes, increases). The present study comprised a survey study with cross-sectional character. ResultsThe statistical analyses demonstrated that the aforementioned variables were robustly associated with each other. In a first mediation model, the association between higher levels of Internet Use Disorder and reduced well-being was partially mediated by the two dimensions of the Sofalizing scale called Online Displacement and Social Compensation. The results of the second mediation model showed that the relationship between changes in Internet use due to COVID-19 pandemic and well-being was fully mediated by CIUS scores, suggesting that increased Internet use due to the COVID-19 pandemic increased levels of Internet Use Disorder tendencies, which in turn decreased levels of well-being. DiscussionThe findings are discussed in the context of human social needs in a time of crisis, where meeting people in-person was restricted.

DOES INTERNET USE PROMOTE OLDER ADULTS’ SELF-PERCEPTION OF AGING: SEPARATING WITHIN- AND BETWEEN-PERSON EFFECTS

Abstract Previous longitudinal studies indicate a positive causal association between older adults’ Internet use and self-perception of aging (SPA). However, it is unclear whether this positive effect is truly due to the lagged within-person changes in Internet use or due to some stable, trait-like between-person differences. Thus, with between-person differences controlled, this study aimed to 1) examine reciprocal associations of within-person SPA and Internet use and 2) investigate the potential age, gender, race/ethnicity, and education group differences. Data used in this study were from the Health and Retirement Study (T1: 2008; T2: 2012; T3: 2016). Older adults aged 65 and older with normal cognition were included in the analysis (n = 6,666). Random-intercept cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPM) were applied to separate the within- and between-person effects regarding the associations between SPA and Internet use. Multiple-group analyses were used for testing group differences. Results showed positive carry-over stability of both Internet use and SPA across time. At the within-person level, only one cross-lagged path, Internet use (T1) ♢ SPA (T2), was significant (b = .08, p < .05), indicating that the within-person Internet use change was predictive of within-person SPA change at T2. At the between-person level, SPA and ICT use were positively correlated (r = .16, p < .001). No group differences were identified. This study indicates that the positive effects of Internet use on SPA may be largely due to between-person differences. Internet use may promote SPA to some extent, but effects may plateau after a certain period of time.

Digital Gender Gap in the Second Half of Life is Declining: Changes in Gendered Internet Use Between 2014 and 2021 in Germany.

The main purpose of the study has been to examine changes in Internet use among men and women in three age groups (mid-life, early old age, and advanced old age) between 2014 and 2021. We tested two hypotheses: The complementary hypothesis posits that online activities reproduce gender differences in offline activities. The compensatory hypothesis posits that women are catching up over time in male-typed activities as Internet access approaches saturation for both genders. We used representative, longitudinal data from the German Ageing Survey (DEAS) collected in 2014, 2017, 2020, and 2021 (n=21,505, age rage 46-90 years). We ran logistic regressions on Internet access and Internet use for four differently gender-typed activities: social contact (female-typed), shopping (gender neutral), entertainment (male-typed), and banking (male-typed). Between 2014 and 2021, women drew level with men in Internet access. Gender differences in all four forms of Internet use declined considerably between 2014 and 2021. Women overtook men in using the Internet for social contact. In older age groups, men held the lead regarding online banking. During the COVID-19 crisis, women caught up to men in Internet use, especially for entertainment. Overall time trends support the complementary hypothesis. By contrast, the finding that women have been catching up in in some male-typed online activities during the COVID-19 pandemic, supports the compensatory hypothesis.

Changes in Everyday Internet Use and Home Activity During and After Pandemic‐Related Lockdowns: A Case Study in Shuangjing Subdistrict, Beijing

AbstractThe outbreak of the COVID‐19 pandemic affected the everyday lives of people. Recent studies have found that Internet use increased during lockdowns and helped people cope with spatial constraints on daily activity. However, long‐term implications on the digitalization of everyday life are still unknown. This study aims to improve the understanding of changes in Internet use during and after lockdown and how these changes relate to home activity and activity context. We draw on a case study of pre‐, mid‐ and post‐lockdown periods in Shuangjing Subdistrict, Beijing. We find that Internet use increased during and after the lockdown, indicating a persistent effect. Home activity mediated the increase in Internet use, suggesting that people stayed at home engaging in more Internet use when restrictions were eased. Work activity and family affairs strengthened the positive impact on Internet use during the lockdown. The influence on Internet use differed depending on sociodemographic characteristics.

Have changes in Internet use during the COVID-19 pandemic affected older adults’ self-rated health? A cross-sectional study of young-old and old-old populations in Korea

Disparities in Internet access are barriers to older populations’ well-being. This study examined the association between changes in older adults’ Internet usage during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and their self-rated health. Participants were adults aged 65 years and above, selected from the 2020 Digital Divide Survey conducted in Korea (n = 1150). Changes in Internet use among younger (aged 65–74 years) and older (aged 75 years and above) groups and the association between these changes and participants’ self-rated health were examined. Internet usage remained similar or increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly among the younger group. Increased Internet use was associated with better self-rated health of the participants. Other characteristics, including age, income, and education level, were also positively associated with their health. This study highlights the need for increasing older adults’ access to online activities to enhance health equity in the digital era.

An inverted digital divide during Covid-19 pandemic? Evidence from a panel of EU countries

The extension of remote forms of employment, education and communication during the Covid-19 pandemic was expected to bridge the digital divide in 2020. However, more digitally developed countries have shown a reduction of Internet use. This article examines the changes in Internet use in 2020 as the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic focused on cross-country digital development. We use a random effects regression model to assess the relationship between Internet use as an indicator of digital divide and digital development on the macro, business, infrastructural, and individual levels in EU countries. Panel data from Eurostat for 2014–2020 are applied. We found that more digitally developed EU countries, including Estonia, the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway, show a higher relationship between Internet usage and digital performance than other EU countries. These countries saw a decrease in Internet use during 2020, which is contrary to the general trend of either increasing or unchanging Internet use in the case of social distancing restrictions and lockdowns. High digital dependence in more digitally developed countries, and in some other EU countries in the context of a pandemic as a crisis, has led to a reduction in Internet use due to the vulnerability of digitalized industries, enterprises, jobs and personal patterns that may identify the new challenge as inverted digital divide.

The Relationship Between Hikikomori Risk and Internet Use During COVID-19 Restrictions.

This study explores the phenomenon of hikikomori, or extreme social isolation, which for the past 20 years has been associated with a range of negative outcomes, including psychological, financial, and social. As hikikomori is associated with marked social withdrawal in one's home and increased Internet use, it has been suggested that the social and technological changes brought about by COVID-19 restrictions may exacerbate the risk of hikikomori in young adults. This study, therefore, sought to identify the relationship between hikikomori risk and changes in Internet use for young people aged 16-24 years during COVID-19 restrictions. An international sample of 826 participants completed an online survey consisting of questions about demographics, experience of lockdown restrictions in the previous 12 months, changes to Internet use in the previous 12 months and a hikikomori risk scale. Higher hikikomori risk was associated with being male, greater time spent in lockdown, and leaving the house less frequently. An increase in Internet use during lockdown was associated with reduced risk of hikikomori. Findings are discussed in relation to gender differences in the type of Internet use engaged in by males and females. It is concluded that online social interaction may be a means of mitigating hikikomori risk in post-COVID-19 societies.

Subjective markers of successful aging and change in Internet use among older adults: The distinctive role of subjective health

Lower rates of Internet adoption among older adults pose significant challenges in delivering important online services to older adults. Addressing the age-related digital divide requires determining factors that can influence Internet use in aging and may be targeted for intervention. Candidate factors include self-perceptions associated with successful aging, but prior research has not determined whether changes in self-perceptions are related to changes in Internet use within individuals. The present study examined the relationship between self-perception measures (subjective age, subjective health, and life satisfaction) and Internet use among older adults, using longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study. Results indicated a selectively robust relationship between Internet use and better subjective health among older Americans. Further, these relationships were not altered by changes in technology adoption over time. Finally, longitudinal data over eight years revealed that change in Internet use was selectively associated with changes in subjective health. Together, these results indicate that among self-perception measures of successful aging, subjective health has a robust relationship with both current Internet use and changes in Internet use over time among older Americans. Such findings suggest that effective interventions to increase digital technology utilization likely require accommodations for older adults with poor subjective health.

Changes in Internet Use Over Time Among Individuals with Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury

ObjectiveTo investigate the changes in total internet and mobile internet use over time and determine how demographic characteristics are related to changes in internet and mobile internet use among individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). DesignCross-sectional analysis of a multicenter cohort study. SettingNational SCI Database. ParticipantsIndividuals with traumatic SCI with follow-up data collected between 2012 and 2018 (N=13,622). InterventionsNot applicable. Main Outcome MeasuresProportion of sample reporting internet use at all or through a mobile device over time and specifically in 2018. ResultsThe proportion of internet users increased from 77.7% in 2012 to 88.1% in 2018. Older participants (P<.001); those with lower annual income (P<.001), less education (P<.001), non-White race or Hispanic ethnicity (P<.001), or motor incomplete tetraplegia (P=.004); and men (P=.035) were less likely to use the internet from 2012-2018. By 2018, there were no longer differences in internet use based on race and ethnicity (P=.290) or sex (P=.066). Mobile internet use increased each year (52.4% to 87.7% of internet users from 2012-2018), with a participant being 13.7 times more likely to use mobile internet in 2018 than 2012. Older age (P<.001), income <$50,000 (P<.001), high school diploma or less (P=.011), or non-Hispanic White race/ethnicity (P=.001) were associated with less mobile internet use over time. By 2018, there were no differences in mobile internet use by education (P=.430), and only participants with incomes >$75,000 per year had greater odds of mobile internet use (P=.016). ConclusionsDisparities associated with internet access are decreasing likely as a result of mobile device use. Increased internet access offers an important opportunity to provide educational and training materials to frequently overlooked groups of individuals with SCI.

Changes in Internet Use When Coping With Stress: Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic

ObjectiveTo explore older people's use of the Internet for coping with stress posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. MethodsAn online survey with a random sample of 407 Internet users aged 60 years and over (Mean = 69.14). ResultsParticipants reported a significant increase in 7 of 12 Internet-based functions following the pandemic onset. Stress levels were moderate-to-high and participants appeared more worried about others than about themselves. Significant positive associations were found between stress and increase in Internet use for interpersonal communication and online errands. Linear regression analysis revealed a significant negative association between stress and subjective wellbeing, but it was only increased Internet use for leisure that associated significantly with enhanced wellbeing. ConclusionThe changes in Internet use clearly reflected coping efforts that were apparently ineffective in enhancing wellbeing. Paradoxically, the only online functions that could improve wellbeing, Internet use for leisure, are precisely those whose use hardly increased.

From Online to Offline and Vice Versa: Change in Internet Use in Later Life Across Europe.

The internet can be a valuable source of social participation in modern society. Although increasing numbers of older adults are using the internet, numerous older adults also cease using the internet and become “offliners.” The question of which factors in usage change (i.e., switching from onliner to offliner, and vice versa) are most influential remains unclear. This study investigates changes in internet use among the older European population using two waves of representative panel data for 13 countries from the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). The analyses were based on 34,149 respondents aged 50 years and older. In general, the results indicate a positive trend by a slight (2%) increase in usage, from 51% in 2013 to 53% in 2015. However, the results also show that a total of 6% had not recently used the internet, although they had done so in the past. Our multilevel results suggest that both the onset of and cessation of internet usage are primarily driven by changes in socioeconomic resources (income and occupation), health resources (subjective health and grip strength), living situation (via relocation), and social factors (partnership and distance to children) as well as contextual factors such as country-specific wealth and social indexes and internet infrastructure. The study underlines the importance of investigating the influencing factors for commencing internet usage and of determining which factors lead to its increase.

Development and Validation of a New Measurement Instrument

Rapid changes in internet use and, consequently, digitalization of almost every aspect of human life lead inevitably to significant problems in information security and social engineering. As previous studies have shown, the biggest problem in internet security is the behavior of internet users. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a new and reliable instrument that would measure information security and awareness of every information-communication user in a short period of time. The development and validation of the new measurement instrument, Behavioral-Cognitive Internet Security Questionnaire (BCISQ), was conducted in three phases. The final version consists of 4 subscales (2 behavioral and 2 cognitive) with a total of 17 items. The results revealed good psychometric characteristics of the BCISQ and showed that a short and reliable questionnaire measuring information security (behavioral aspects of internet security) and users' awareness (cognitive aspects of internet security) was successfully developed.

DOES CHANGE IN INTERNET USE PREDICT PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING AMONG OLDER ADULTS?

Previous work focusing on the relationship between Internet use and quality of life among older adults (aged 65+) has found evidence of various positive impacts. This project expands upon this work by examining the relationship between Internet use and measures of psychological well-being (PWB) including autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, positive relations with others, purpose in life, and self-acceptance. The analytic sample is derived from two waves of data (Time 1 = 2004, Time 2 = 2011) taken from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study and includes a sample of older adults aged~65 at Time 1 (N = 4943). Participants were separated into four categories: those who did not use the Internet at Time 1 or 2, those who used the Internet at Time 1 only, those who used the Internet at Time 2 only, and those who used the Internet at both Time 1 and 2. Regression analyses were performed with the Time 2 PWB measures as the outcomes and the Internet use categories as the primary predictors. Results indicate that while continuous Internet users typically reported higher PWB scores compared to non-users, those who stopped use between Time 1 and 2 also reported higher scores and those who started use between Time 1 and 2 reported lower scores. These results generally held when introducing Time 1 PWB measures as controls, suggesting changes in Internet use may affect PWB but not necessarily in the predicted directions. Additional control variables, potential explanations, and implications for future research are discussed.

Digital inclusion in later life: cohort changes in internet use over a ten-year period in England

ABSTRACTThe ability to use the internet frequently is likely to provide a useful means of engaging with society and using services in later life, yet older people are the most likely to suffer digital exclusion, with those of the oldest ages at the greatest risk. Using six waves (2002–2012) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, we model cohort-specific patterns of frequent internet use for people aged 50 and over. Multi-level growth models are used to observe trajectories of internet use over the ten-year period. Firstly, analyses are stratified by gender and wealth, and secondly we additionally test for health effects. The study finds cohort-specific differences in patterns of internet use. Rates of internet use increase faster among younger cohorts yet, despite initially increasing, begin to decline among older cohorts. Poor health is shown to be a key factor in shaping the trajectory of internet use over time. Rates of internet use are consistently lower for women than men and for those in poorer financial circumstances, independently of age cohort. The findings demonstrate the importance of ensuring older people can remain digitally included throughout later life, including after the onset of poorer health, especially as some of these individuals might benefit the most from some of the services the internet can provide.

Trends in Internet Use Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in the United States.

Internet-based platforms are increasingly prominent interfaces for social and sexual networking among men who have sex with men (MSM). MSM were recruited through venue-based sampling in 2008, 2011, and 2014 in 20 US cities. We examined changes in internet use (IU) to meet men and in meeting the last partner online among MSM from 2008 to 2014 using Poisson regression with generalized estimating equations to calculate adjusted prevalence ratios (APRs). We also examined factors associated with increased frequency of IU using data from 2014. IU was categorized as never, infrequent use (<once a week), and frequent use (≥once a week). Frequent IU increased from 21% in 2008 to 44% in 2014 (APR = 1.39, 95% confidence interval: 1.36 to 1.42), and having met the last partner online increased from 19% in 2008 to 32% in 2014 (APR = 1.30, 95% confidence interval: 1.26 to 1.34). Those who never used the internet had fewer partners (median of 2 in the past 12 months, interquartile range: 1-4) compared with infrequent (4, 2-7) and frequent users (5, 3-12). HIV testing in the past 12 months also increased with increasing IU (58%, 68%, and 71%, respectively, P < 0.0001). Among HIV-positive participants, the percent HIV-positive awareness increased as IU increased (71%, 75%, and 79%, P < 0.005). Both IU to meet men and meeting the last partner online increased since 2008. Although men who used the internet more frequently reported more partners in the past 12 months, they were also more likely to report testing in the past 12 months and were more likely to be HIV-positive aware.

The digital divide experienced by older consumers in smart environments

AbstractThe continuing transition of the Internet from wired to mobile has facilitated changes in Internet use. By focusing on older consumers as a potentially disadvantaged group, this study examines whether smart environments have the potential to bridge the digital divide. Data were derived from an analysis of the 2013 South Korean Information Divide data set (n = 2386 for those 60 years and older; n = 5841 for those under 60 years). The existence of a digital divide in the smart environment was verified by comparing younger and older South Koreans; this showed that continuing consumer education is needed to enhance older people's experience and skills regarding information and in its use of communication technology. The digital divide was measured based on three aspects: accessibility, competence, and usage. In smart environments, gaps in accessibility and competence between the age groups increased whereas the gap in information usage decreased. Compared with the personal computer‐based environment, members of both groups in the smart environment exhibited increased usage levels with regard to social relationship services, while the gap between the groups with regard to use of convenience services was reduced.

Modelling a Causal Relationship between the Internet and Academic Research Performance in an Australian University: A Case Study

This study examines the relationship between academics’ use of the Internet for academic purposes and their research performance using cross-sectional data collected from academics of the University of Southern Queensland (USQ), Australia, during the period February–March 2014. In this study, a system of simultaneous equation models is used to control the potential bias associated with simultaneity between the use of the Internet and academics’ research performances. The simultaneity, a potential econometric problem, was overlooked in past studies. A finding of this study is that academics’ use of the Internet is a statistically significant contributor to research output in an Australian university. The estimated elasticity of research output is 0.16 with respect to changes in Internet use. JEL Classifications: C3, D8, I2

The centrality of electricity to ICT use in low-income countries

A growing body of literature that extols the ability of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to enhance well-being in developing countries tends to focus on long run institutional and socio-economic changes as key to driving Internet uptake. The literature, however, too often ignores one factor in discussions of ICTs׳ importance and employment: electricity. Overlooking the centrality of electricity to any ICT for development (ICT4D) initiative has enormous consequences; countless initiatives have failed to consider the (in)ability to power the technology that is central to such development efforts. The present article seeks to address this gap by emphasizing the primacy of electricity in ICT4D initiatives. Utilizing a unique dataset that avoids issues associated with unreliably measured and inequitably distributed grid power, we examine the drivers of Internet adoption in low-income countries. We find robust evidence that increasing the distribution of electricity within under-served countries—and thereby making electricity available to a larger proportion of the population—significantly increases the number of Internet users. Arguably, improvements in infrastructure may bring about significant changes in Internet use, even in places where advancements in education and political representation remain elusive.

Electricity and the Digital Divide in Low-Income Countries

Recent times have seen the emergence of an entire body of scholarly literature devoted to defining, conceptualizing, debating, measuring, and addressing the “digital divide.” Although many believe that information and communication technologies (ICTs) are primary in the potential to improve quality of life around the world, one important factor is too often ignored in discussions of their importance and employment: electricity. Most authors focus on long run institutional changes as key to driving internet uptake, but overlooking the centrality of electricity to any ICT for development (ICT4D) initiative in low-income locations has enormous consequences; countless initiatives have failed to consider the (in)ability to power the technology that is central to such development efforts. The present article seeks to address this gap by emphasizing the primacy of electricity in ICT4D initiatives. Utilizing a unique dataset that avoids the issues associated with unreliably-measured and inequitably-distributed grid power, we examine the drivers of Internet adoption in low-income countries. We find robust evidence that increasing the distribution of electricity within under-served countries – and thereby making electricity available to a larger proportion of the population – significantly increases the number of Internet users. Arguably, improvements in infrastructure may bring about significant changes in Internet use, even in places where improvements in education and political representation remain illusive. Subsequent to the presentation of these findings, their relevant policy implications are discussed.

Social Connectivity in America: Changes in Adult Friendship Network Size From 2002 to 2007

There is some panic in the United States about a possible decline in social connectivity. The authors used two American national surveys to analyze how changes in the number of friends are related to changes in Internet use. The authors found that friendships continue to be abundant among adult Americans between the ages of 25 to 74 and that they grew from 2002 to 2007. This trend is similar among Internet nonusers, light users, moderate users, and heavy users and across communication contexts: offline, virtual only, and migratory from online to offline. Heavy users are particularly active, having the most friends both online and offline. Intracohort change consistently outweighs cohort replacement in explaining overall growth in friendship.