Differences In Internet Use Research Articles

Online Educational Resources for Schoolchildren and the Digital Divide

The authors examine the digital divides of the first and second levels and analyze the use of educational resources by Russian schoolchildren. Several specialized educational resources for schoolchildren are described. The first level digital divide is understood as unequal access to the Internet among different social groups; the second level digital divide means the differences in the practices of using the Internet. Empirically the study is based on two surveys of schoolchildren, conducted in 2014–2016 in St. Petersburg (94 schools, 3,739 pupils of the 10th–11th grades) and the Kaluga region (249 schools, 27,904 pupils of the 6th–9th grades). The results show no evidence of the first level digital divide in the megalopolis. In the Kaluga region, the differences in access to the Internet are due to the type of settlement (city-village), the family structure (two-parent/single-parent families), and the parental educational level. Schoolchildren living in a village with a less educated single-parent are in the most vulnerable position. No differences in Internet use were found between schoolchildren regardless of their family background, school type, or type of settlement, neither in the Kaluga region, nor in St. Petersburg. Most schoolchildren use educational resources, and the intensity of use increases with age. The most popular general purpose resource is Wikipedia; the most popular specialized resource for schoolchildren is Znanija.com. Only a small percentage of the surveyed schoolchildren (about 2%) use the sites that offer ready homework.

Use of the internet related to infertility by infertile women and men in Turkey.

Objective:To determine differences in use of the Internet related to infertility between infertile women and men, whether they benefit or are negatively affected from information on the Internet, and share this information with health professional.Methods:This cross-sectional study was carried out with 285 infertile women and 158 men between December 2015 and February 2016. Data were collected by a survey Form which included questions related to sociodemographic characteristics, related to infertility (duration of treatment, type of treatment) and questions about use of the Internet. Chi-square analysis was used to evaluate the differences in Internet use and independent variables for patients.Results:Seventy-four percent of women and 68.4% of men used the Internet related to infertility. Women and men most often looked for information related to assisted reproductive technology and the causes of infertility. Men searched for information related to fertility drugs used in treatment significantly less than women. They often visited the websites of fertility centers and doctors. A high percentage of them have benefited from information on the Internet. Almost half of the women and men shared the information obtained from the Internet with health professional.Conclusion:Most frequently, infertile patients use the Internet to obtain information related to infertility and they benefited from information on the Internet. For health professional it is important to direct Internet users to safe and true information resources.

Gender Difference in Internet Use and Internet Problems among Quebec High School Students.

There are presently no data available concerning Internet addiction (IA) problems among adolescents in Canada and the province of Quebec. The goal of this study is thus to document and compare the influence of gender on Internet use and addiction. The study data were collected from a larger research project on gambling among adolescents. Activities conducted online (applications used and time spent) as well as answers to the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) were collected from 3938 adolescents from grades 9 to 11. The two most often employed cut-off points for the IAT in the literature were documented: (40-69 and 70+) and (50+). Boys spent significantly more time on the Internet than did girls. A greater proportion of the girls made intense use of social networks, whereas a greater proportion of the boys made intense use of massively multiplayer online role-playing games, online games, and adult sites. The proportion of adolescents with a potential IA problem varied according to the cut-off employed. When the cut-off was set at 70+, 1.3% of the adolescents were considered to have an IA, while 41.7% were seen to be at risk. At a 50+ cut-off, 18% of the adolescents were considered to have a problem. There was no significant difference between the genders concerning the proportion of adolescents considered to be at risk or presenting IA problems. Finally, analysis of the percentile ranks would seem to show that a cut-off of 50+ better describes the category of young people at risk. The results of this study make it possible to document Internet use and IA in a large number of Quebec adolescents.

Modeling the second-level digital divide: A five-country study of social differences in Internet use

Based on representative surveys on Internet use, this article advances comparative research on the second-level digital divide by modeling Internet usage disparities for five countries with narrowing access gaps. Four core Internet usage types are constructed and predicted by sociodemographic variables in a structural model. Overall, the findings confirm the recently identified shift in the digital divide from access to usage in five further countries. Results show that sociodemographics alone account for up to half of the variance in usage in these high-penetration countries, with age being the strongest predictor. Measurement invariance tests indicate that a direct comparison is only valid between three of the five countries explored. Methodologically, this points to the indispensability of such tests for unbiased comparative research.

Analysis of Gender Differences in Internet Use of Children: Evidence from Turkey

<p>In this study, factors in Internet use of female and male children in Turkey were determined with probit regression model by using micro data set in Household Information Technologies Usage Research of 2013 carried out by Turkish Statistical Institute. Dependent variable of the study is two category variable, namely Internet use and non-use of female and male children. Independent variables are socio-economic and demographic variables. According to chi-square analysis, there is a relation between Internet use of female and male children and socio-economic and demographic characteristics. According to probit regression analysis results, for female children, region, educational status, having computer or mobile phone on their own, frequency of watching TV, watching movie, series; floor show, music, game show; watching educational programs such as documentaries, culture, art, reading newspaper and journal in printed media, using mobile phone and frequency of using computer are variables effective in Internet use. Region, rural-urban difference, age, being literate, educational status, having mobile phone or game console on their own, watching entertainment, music, competition programs, reading newspaper and journal in printed media, using mobile phone and, frequency of using computer are variables effective in Internet use among male children. Frequency of using computer is the most effective variable in Internet use and it is more effective among female children compared to male children.</p>

The Genetic and Environmental Contributions to Internet Use and Associations With Psychopathology: A Twin Study.

Excessive internet use has been linked to psychopathology. Therefore, understanding the genetic and environmental risks underpinning internet use and their relation to psychopathology is important. This study aims to explore the genetic and environmental etiology of internet use measures and their associations with internalizing disorders and substance use disorders. The sample included 2,059 monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) young adult twins from the Brisbane Longitudinal Twin Study (BLTS). Younger participants reported more frequent internet use, while women were more likely to use the internet for interpersonal communication. Familial aggregation in 'frequency of internet use' was entirely explained by additive genetic factors accounting for 41% of the variance. Familial aggregation in 'frequency of use after 11 pm', 'using the internet to contact peers', and 'using the internet primarily to access social networking sites' was attributable to varying combinations of additive genetic and shared environmental factors. In terms of psychopathology, there were no significant associations between internet use measures and major depression (MD), but there were positive significant associations between 'frequency of internet use' and 'frequency of use after 11 pm' with social phobia (SP). 'Using the internet to contact peers' was positively associated with alcohol abuse, whereas 'using the internet to contact peers' and 'using the internet primarily to access social networking sites' were negatively associated with cannabis use disorders and nicotine symptoms. Individual differences in internet use can be attributable to varying degrees of genetic and environmental risks. Despite some significant associations of small effect, variation in internet use appears mostly unrelated to psychopathology.

Wielowymiarowa analiza społeczno-demograficznych aspektów wykorzystania Internetu

The objective of this paper was to test a hypothesis on the diversity in the use of computers for online communication, shopping activities, entertainment and information acquisition. The differences between people belonging to two age groups - those who started and ended their professional careers either in 2003 or 2011 - were analysed. The study included the additional socio-demographic characteristics: gender, level of education and place of residence. The data were retrieved from the "Social Diagnosis", and logistic regression and correspondence analysis were used. The research findings confirm the differences in Internet use by the groups of younger and older people, taking into account other variables.

L’appropriazione di Internet da parte degli adolescenti: tra riproduzione sociale e mutamento culturale

Besides generational divides between “natives” and “immigrants”, large differences in internet use and digital skills exist also between young people. Indeed parents shape their children’s relationship with digital media through their child-rearing strategies and even their own internet use. The qualitative research presented in this essay examined the relationship between internet appropriation and adolescents’ social background with a special attention to parents’ role. From the analysis of 53 interviews to adolescents of different social classes, it was possible to identify two patterns that elucidate links between internet appropriation, parental socialization and teenagers’ socio-economic and cultural background. The results show instances of social reproduction, but do not confirm a linear relationship between social and digital inequalities according to which the most extensive and innovative internet appropriation is found in the most privileged social contexts.

Internet Use for Educational Purposes: Evidence from Russia

The study sets out to examine empirically the use of Internet in education process in Russia. Socio-demographic determinants of use of Internet for educational purposes, to obtain reference information or to learn the news are studied. The sample represents entire population of Russia. Significant age and gender differences in Internet use for educational purposes are discovered. Influence of satisfaction with financial status on Internet use is weak, while it is the education level of respondents which acts as the most powerful determinant of Internet use for educational purposes. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n3p660

Gender and Age Differences in Internet Use among Czech Internet Users

The internet offers advertisers many opportunities for targeting their advertisements. The traditional approach to the demographic targeting of advertisements assumes the existence of internet servers with sufficient homogeneity of visits. The aim of this paper is to identify the variations in internet content consumption habits of different groups of Czech internet users, according to gender and age. On the basis of the research findings, the possibilities for the demographic targeting of internet advertisements by gender and age on the Czech internet were assessed. The analysis is based on the data from the extensive research which was carried out by the Netmonitor project, and which was provided for the purposes of this research study by the Association for Internet Development (SPIR). The research results show that the traditional affinity-based method of targeting according to gender and age is still possible on the Czech internet.

Gender as Moderator of the Effects of Online Social Support From Friends and Strangers: A Study of Singaporean College Students

Gender differences in Internet use may affect how women and men respond to online support (OS) provided by friends and strangers. The present study compared the psychological effects of brief OS provided by a same-gender, same-ethnicity friend or stranger in young Singaporean women ( n = 73) and men ( n = 60). After random assignment to 1 of 3 groups (supportive friend, supportive stranger, nothing), Singaporean university students completed stressor tasks before and after instant messaging with a friend or stranger, or doing nothing. The findings showed that OS from a friend attenuated women’s negative emotional responses to stress, whereas OS from a stranger was ineffective in regulating women’s negative affect. In contrast, men did not show significant changes in negative affect in association with OS provided by a friend or a stranger. The findings were consistent with gender differences in Internet use, where women use the Internet to seek social support and men to gather information.

Mental health related Internet use among psychiatric patients: a cross-sectional analysis.

BackgroundThe Internet is of great importance in today’s health sector, as most Internet users utilize online functions for health related purposes. Concerning the mental health care sector, little data exist about the Internet use of psychiatric patients. It is the scope of this current study to analyze the quantity and pattern of Internet usage among mental health patients.MethodsPatients from all services of the Department of Psychiatry at a university hospital were surveyed by completing a 29-item questionnaire. The data analysis included evaluation of frequencies, as well as group comparisons.Results337 patients participated in the survey, of whom 79.5% were Internet users. Social media was utilized by less than half of the users: social networks (47.8%), forums (19.4%), chats (18.7%), blogs (12.3%). 70.9% used the Internet for mental health related reasons. The contents accessed by the patients included: information on mental disorders (57.8%), information on medication (43.7%), search for mental health services (38.8%), platforms with other patients (19.8%) and platforms with mental health professionals (17.2%).Differences in the pattern of use between users with low, medium and high frequency of Internet use were statistically significant for all entities of social media (p < 0.01), search for mental health services (p = 0.017) and usage of platforms with mental health professionals (p = 0. 048).The analysis of differences in Internet use depending on the participants’ type of mental disorder revealed no statistically significant differences, with one exception. Regarding the Internet’s role in mental health care, the participants showed differing opinions: 36.2% believe that the Internet has or may have helped them in coping with their mental disorder, while 38.4% stated the contrary.ConclusionsMost psychiatric patients are Internet users. Mental health related Internet use is common among patients, mainly for information seeking. The use of social media is generally less frequent. It varies significantly between different user types and was shown to be associated with high frequency of Internet use. The results illustrate the importance of the Internet in mental health related contexts and may contribute to the further development of mental health related online offers.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12888-014-0368-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Internet Use Among Veterans With Severe Mental Illness

Internet Use Among Veterans With Severe Mental Illness

Digital Divide among youth: socio‐cultural factors and implications

PurposeThis paper aims to examine socio‐cultural differences in internet use (Digital Divide) among 14‐year‐old Austrian pupils, in particular usage scenarios and research competences. It is based on a paper presented at the International Association for the Development of the Information Society e‐Society conference, 10‐13 March 2011, Spain (Parycek et al., 2011).Design/methodology/approachThe interpretation follows the results of a study conducted in 2009 and 2010 in school computer labs. The study design includes an online survey, a questionnaire and a cloze test.FindingsThe results give evidence that a Digital Divide in Austria exists even among teenagers, in particular in relation to gender, socio‐economic status and school type.Research limitations/implicationsAs the survey was done with 14‐year‐old pupils, the results are limited to this age group. However, the target group enables researchers to relate the results to the main two school types in Austria, as pupils attend either of these schools at this age.Practical implicationsThe findings of the survey were communicated to the Federal Ministry for Education, Arts and Culture of Austria. They provide a basis for target‐group specific projects aiming at enhancing e‐literacy among Austrian youth.Originality/valueThe focus on 14‐year‐old pupils allows for a more detailed analysis of the Digital Divide within this age group in three regions of Austria. The study provides detailed data on the search behavior of young people due to an integrated test element that tracked pupils' surf paths.

Internet use and online social support among same sex attracted individuals of different ages

The current research addressed age differences in internet use among Same Sex Attracted (SSA) individuals. In general, online communities are found to be a source of social support, especially for minority group members. However, it is unclear whether younger and older SSA people differ in their use of these communities. The present research examined age differences in use of online communities, hypothesizing that young SSA people primarily use these for social interaction and support, whereas older SSA people use online communities to seek sexual contacts. Study 1 examined age differences in motives to start using these websites. Study 2 examined age differences in use of online profiles and online social support. Results of both studies confirmed our hypotheses. Younger compared to older SSA people are found to receive more online social support, whereas older SSA use the internet more for sexual purposes. Our findings provide first time evidence of the relation between sexual orientation, age and internet use.

Abstract 1832: Increased internet utilization by younger cancer patients for disease research

Abstract Objectives: There is a tremendous amount of effort put into creating and maintaining hospital and health care related websites with patient related disease information. Very few have evaluated patients’ use of these websites, and if patients with cancer use the internet more for research, versus those with non-cancer disease processes. We hoped to evaluate all patients in our surgery clinics to assess for differences in internet use with regards to age and disease process. Methods: We surveyed 350 patients and family members over a 10 week period in our institution's thoracic surgery clinics. We assessed people for their demographic data, baseline internet availability and use, and for disease specific internet research and local hospital website utilization. Results: 350 people complete the survey. The mean age of cancer patients was 59 years old, while the mean of those with non-cancer diseases was 51. There was no difference in the internet availability or internet research when comparing patients with cancer, and without cancer. We stratified patients by age, into an over 50 year old group (Group A), and a second 50 years and younger group (Group B). Group B had a significantly higher internet availability versus Group B (95% vs 78%), and had higher weekly internet use, and daily hourly use. 71% of people within Group B used the internet to research their diseases, versus 51% in Group A. When we looked at only cancer patients, and stratified by age, 82% of patients 50 years old or younger researched their cancers, versus only 51% of those over age 50. When we analyzed only those patients in Group B, those with cancer had a significantly higher internet research rate (82%) than those without cancer (67%). Although younger patients with cancer tended to perform more internet research, they felt that the information was not trustful 44% of the time, versus only 23% of the over 50 cancer age group. WebMD ® was the most popular single website cited as a source of information. Conclusions: Having a diagnosis of cancer did not lead to more internet research overall, but there was significantly more internet research performed by patients 50 years and younger with cancer, than those older cancer patients, or those younger patients without cancer. Interestingly though, this same group tended to be most distrustful of the information that it found on the internet. It does seem that internet research will increase as the younger population ages. Further research should be performed to assess for other sources of disease information, and for reasons why internet information isn't trusted. This will help us improve our website design for greatest patient benefit. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1832. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-1832

MOTIVES FOR INTERNET USE AND THEIR RELATIONSHIPS WITH PERSONALITY TRAITS AND SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS

The aim of this study was to identify the strongest predictors of individual differences in Internet use, taking into account personality traits, socio-demographic variables, and indicators of habitus and lifestyle. To this purpose, an empirically robust and theoretically easily interpretable classification of online activities and their underlying motives was developed. Representative survey data of the Estonian population (age range 15-74 years; N = 1,507) were used. Factor analysis of online activities revealed two underlying motives for Internet use: Social media and entertainment (SME), and Work and information (WI). General linear modelling analysis showed that SME was most significantly predicted by younger age, the frequency of Internet use at public place, at friends and at home, Openness to Experience, lower education level, and the ethnic minority status. WI was best predicted by the frequency of Internet use at work or school, higher education level, more active civic participation, and the ethnic majority status.

Becoming Citizens: Youths’ Civic Uses of New Media in Five Digital Cities in East Asia

Asian youths are embracing communication technologies at a burgeoning rate, yet interesting differences in Internet access and use exist among this younger generation. Our empirical investigation provides a rich and comparative look into what Asian youths do online, with an emphasis on an understudied area: their civic uses of new media. Data collected among youths aged between 12 and 17 in Hong Kong, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei, and Tokyo in 2007 show that this ‘digital generation’ has grown up with computers and the Internet, with 96% of them being internet users, and having 6 years of computer experience on average. Our results suggest that the Internet may facilitate citizenship among Asian youths although entertainment-related activities such as downloading music or playing games remain the most popular activities online. Sixty-five percent of them read online news, almost half of them have ever cast a vote on the Internet, and every one in five has signed an online petition. Differences in Internet usage and civic behaviors among youths in five cities are presented, suggesting the contextual nature of Internet use influenced by civic culture.The paper concludes with a discussion of differences in Internet use among Asian youths between 2001 and 2007, together with research implications for better understanding this population.

Implicaciones de Género en la Sociedad de la Información: Un Análisis desde los Determinantes de Uso de Internet en Chile y México

This document presents the gender differences in Internet use for some Latin American countries and, through an empirical exercise, validates these differences, as well as the gender interaction with the determinants of Internet use. For this purpose, a model of interaction effects is applied to Mexico and Chile, with the income as one of the key determinants in the use of Internet. The main findings suggest that the positive effect of the income on the probability of use of Internet is greater for men than for women. This is one of the first papers that show the status of gender indicators and Internet use in the region. Additionally, this is the first empirical validation of gender gaps given by using models based on information from ICT households’ surveys of Mexico and Chile. Thus, based on findings on the gender implications in Internet use, we raised the discussion to public policy guidelines for the region.

Gendered Internet Use Across Generations and Life Stages

Gender inequalities in Internet use are smaller among younger people. It is unclear whether these differences can be explained by the varying circumstances in which different generations grew up or by other factors that vary within an individual’s life time. This article tests a model which proposes that generation determines the level of Internet use and life stage determines gender differences in Internet use. Descriptive analyses of a representative sample of 1,578 British Internet users confirm that there continue to be small but significant gender differences for most uses of the Internet. The findings from a series of linear regressions suggest that gender differences vary for different life stages related to occupation and marital status. This is true especially for typically male uses. The article concludes that other factors related to life stage will continue to influence gender differences in Internet use in the future.