Digital Age Research Articles

Beyond usability: innovation in the digital age as an antidote to social isolation

The study's objective: The article aims to evaluate the impact of life satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil, considering the perception of usability of intelligent personal assistants (IPAs) and investigating possible moderations of consumer innovation dimensions in this relationship. Methodology/Approach: Field research was carried out with 515 users of intelligent personal assistants (IPAs). The results were analyzed using multiple linear regression, using the SPSS software (Statistical Package for Social Science v.22), with the application of the PROCESS macro. Originality/Relevance: This study contributes to filling a gap in the literature on the diffusion of innovation and adoption of technological products by investigating aspects of innovative consumption in a pandemic and social isolation scenario. Main Results: The research results indicate that domain-specific innovativeness (DSI) moderates the relationship between usability (SUS) and life satisfaction (LS). In contrast, innovativeness behavior (IB) moderates this relationship only with DSI maintained at medium and low levels. It was observed that, with greater usability, life satisfaction increases and is moderated by domain-specific innovativeness. For higher IB levels, LS increases more quickly. Theoretical/Methodological Contributions: Integrating concepts from theories of innovative consumption and diffusion of innovations, the study offers insights into how technology affects well-being in a global crisis. This advanced approach helps understand the mechanisms underlying the impacts of usability and innovation on human behavior. Social/Managerial Contributions: This study helps understand how IPA users can experience greater life satisfaction and social isolation during a pandemic.

Exploring the Effects of Entrepreneurial and Digital Orientations on the Competitive Advantage of Saudi Firms: Is Strategic Agility the Missing Link?

This study explores the intricate relationships between entrepreneurial orientation (EO), digital orientation (DO), strategic agility (SA), and competitive advantage (CA) in Saudi firms. We investigate whether strategic agility serves as the missing link in these relationships. We examine direct and indirect effects among these constructs using structural equation modeling on data collected from 307 Saudi firms. The results confirm the direct positive links between EO and SA with CA. However, the findings also reveal a surprising result—there is no direct link between DO and CA. At the same time, both DO and EO exerted significant positive influences on SA. This study emphasizes the mediating role of SA. We find that SA partially mediates the relationship between EO and CA, underlining the importance of EO while pointing out the additional value given to this relationship by SA. Additionally, SA fully mediates the relationship between DO and CA, suggesting that firms must develop SA to translate their digital capabilities into CA. These results contribute to the strategic management literature by explaining the interplay between strategic orientations, agility, and competitive advantage in the Saudi context. They also provide practical implications for managers seeking to enhance the competitiveness of their firms during this digital age by showing that investing in SA in conjunction with entrepreneurial and digital resources is of paramount importance.

The impact of video game playing on Chinese adolescents' academic achievement: Evidence from a moderated multi-mediation model.

Internet access for adolescents is becoming more prevalent around the world. Although video game playing has been verified to be negatively related to adolescent academic achievement, the mechanisms underlying this relationship are also unknown. Using a nationally representative sample of adolescents from the China Education Panel Survey (2014-2015), this study aims to explore the parallel mediation roles of self-educational expectation and learning attitude in the link between video game playing and academic achievement, and whether the direct and indirect effects are moderated by parent-child relationship. The results indicate that video game playing in adolescents is both directly and indirectly related to their academic achievement, and self-educational expectation and learning attitude partially mediate this association. Moreover, the results reveal that parent-child relationship moderates the direct association between video game playing and academic achievement as well as the indirect association of video game playing on academic achievement via self-educational expectation, respectively. By showing empirical evidence for the usefulness of social cognitive theory to adolescents' academics in the Internet Age, our research provides a supplement to existing literature.

Augmented Reality: a Tool That Encourages Teaching-Learning

Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate Augmented Reality, with the aim of to promote teaching-learning in students of traditional secondary schools in the municipality of Aguachica, Cesar Colombia. Theoretical Framework: In this topic, the main concepts and theories that underpin the research are presented. Data analysis and tabulation, computers and information processing, educational, technology, aumented reality stand out, providing a solid basis for understanding the context of the investigation. Method: The methodology adopted for this research comprises for the present research, didactic activities mediated with augmented reality (AR) were implemented as an academic tool, facilitating the acquisition of knowledge by students in an interactive, authentic and focused way; is a basic secondary school student. Data collection was carried out through to assess this degree of satisfaction, a quantitative methodology was applied through student surveys. Results and Discussion: The results obtained revealed according to the research methodology, augmented reality represents a unique educational medium that offers educators the possibility of designing, adapting, and extending meaningful educational experiences for students. Research Implications: The digital age imposes challenges and changes on the education sector (institutions, teachers, students, families) with respect to pedagogical and didactic strategies, which were traditionally carried out in the classroom, but which have now also been extended to any social environment. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature by exploring how augmented reality can transform traditional educational methods. The relevance and value of this research are evidenced by lies in demonstrating how augmented reality can revolutionize education by making learning more interactive and effective, facilitating the understanding of complex concepts and fostering critical and creative skills in students.

Risk Classification of Food Incidents Using a Risk Evaluation Matrix for Use in Artificial Intelligence-Supported Risk Identification.

Foodborne illnesses and mortalities persist as a significant global health issue. The World Health Organization estimates that one out of every ten individuals becomes ill following the consumption of contaminated food. However, in the age of digitalization and technological progress, more and more data and data evaluation technologies are available to counteract this problem. A specific challenge in this context is the efficient and beneficial utilization of the continuously increasing volume of data. In pursuit of optimal data utilization, the objective of the present study was to develop a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA)-based assessment scheme to be prospectively implemented into an overall artificial intelligence (AI)-supported database for the autonomous risk categorization of food incident reports. Such additional evaluations might help to identify certain novel or emerging risks by allocating a level of risk prioritization. Ideally, such indications are obtained earlier than an official notification, and therefore, this method can be considered preventive, as the risk is already identified. Our results showed that this approach enables the efficient and time-saving preliminary risk categorization of incident reports, allowing for the rapid identification of relevant reports related to predefined subject areas or inquiries that require further examination. The manual test runs demonstrated practicality, enabling the implementation of the evaluation scheme in AI-supported databases for the autonomous assessment of incident reports. Moreover, it has become evident that increasing the amount of information and evaluation criteria provided to AI notably enhances the precision of risk assessments for individual incident notifications. This will remain an ongoing challenge for the utilization and processing of food safety data in the future.

The Role of ICT Resources Available to Students Influencing their Academic Performance: A Comparative Study between Private and Public Schools in Sindh-Pakistan

In today's digital age, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) resources play a crucial role in shaping students' academic performance. This comparative study aims to analyze the impact of ICT resources on students' academic performance in both private and public schools in Larkana Sindh, Pakistan. The study utilizes a quantitative methodology, collecting data through questionnaires administered to 100 students using stratified random sampling. This study used Smart PLS 4.0 for Data Analysis. The questionnaires assess the availability and utilization of ICT resources, including computers, internet connectivity, and educational software. Additionally, student records provide insight into academic achievements. The research sheds light on disparities in access to and utilization of ICT resources between private and public institutions. It underscores how resources in private schools contribute to an enriched learning experience and improved academic performance. Conversely, public educational institutions in Sindh often encounter challenges in providing adequate ICT resources, which can negatively impact academic achievement. By highlighting these discrepancies, the study emphasizes the importance of addressing inequities in ICT resource allocation. Policymakers and educators must work to ensure that all students, regardless of school type, have equal access to ICT resources. Bridging this gap is crucial for enhancing students' academic success and preparing them for the demands of the digital era.

Research on Decoration of Tourist Homestays and Hotels Based on Digital Image Network Computing

In today’s digital age, the tourism and homestay industry is facing unprecedented opportunities and challenges. With the continuous expansion of the tourism market, tourists’ demands for accommodation experience are becoming increasingly diverse and personalized. Traditional design methods often struggle to quickly respond to these changes, fully showcase regional characteristics, and achieve efficient personalized customization. At the same time, how to integrate modern technology while retaining traditional charm to enhance the attractiveness and comfort of homestays has become an urgent problem to be solved. This paper aims to explore in depth how to use this technological framework to optimize the decoration design of tourist homestays, in order to create living spaces that retain traditional charm and are rich in modern technology. By utilizing digital image network computing technology, it is possible to conduct 3D modeling and virtual simulation of the indoor space of homestays. By simulating different furniture placement and spatial separation schemes, combined with tourist behavior analysis data, the optimal spatial layout scheme is automatically recommended to achieve maximum space utilization and a comfortable living experience. This technology can analyze a large number of color matching cases, combined with the cultural characteristics of the area where the homestay is located, and apply the principles of color psychology to provide personalized color schemes for homestay design. Meanwhile, through style recognition and recommendation algorithms, designers can quickly locate and integrate traditional and modern elements to create unique decorative styles.

Exploration of Librarians' Assertive Behaviour in Improving Service Quality in the Digital Age

This article explores the assertive behaviour of librarians in an effort to improve service quality in the digital era. It is expected that librarians can adjust to the rapid development of technology and the increasingly complex demands of users. To face these challenges, assertive behaviour is required, which includes effective communication skills, the ability to express opinions assertively, and self-confidence. This research uses the literature study method to look at various scientific sources on assertive behaviour and its impact on library service quality. The results show that assertive behaviour helps create good interactions between librarians and users, increases user satisfaction with services, and supports the transformation of libraries towards digital-based services. It is hoped that this research will provide insights for librarians on how to develop assertive skills to improve the quality of services provided by digital libraries.

Cluster profiles of high school students in cyber bullying, cyber victimization, aggression, and coping

Cyberbullying has become a significant concern, particularly among teenagers, due to the advancement of digital technologies. This study aims to identify the cluster profiles as well as the role of gender, time spent on networking and age on these clusters. This study employed a self-administered survey to investigate cyberbullying among 812 adolescents attending public and private high schools in Selangor, Malaysia. The quantitative data was obtained using validated measures of cyberbullying and cybervictimization scale, coping strategies, and aggression. Data analysis used in this research were two-stage cluster analysis and chi-square statistics. The findings revealed that these teenagers can be categorized into three distinct cluster profiles namely highly cybervictimization, aggressive and depressive; low cyber victimization, aggression, depression and coping; and lower scores in cyber victimization, aggression, depression and higher scores in coping. Unlike previous studies, cluster profiles revealed no substantial correlation with gender. Instead, this study found that cluster patterns were linked to demographic factors, such as age groups. This study also highlights the correlation between cluster profiles and the utilization of social media in the dynamics of cyberbullying. Teens in Cluster 1, who devoted more than four hours per day to social media, experienced the greatest influence of cyberbullying, highlighting the significance of their online environment. This study sheds light on the issue of cyberbullying among Malaysian adolescents and highlights its intricate nature. To foster safer online environments for teenagers in the digital age, educational institutions, parents, and governments can develop specific efforts that identify cluster profiles and demographic factors.

CONTRATOS E ASSINATURAS DIGITAIS – VALIDADE, CONFECÇÃO E JURISPRUDÊNCIA

This article presents an evolutionary analysis of contracts, from the rigidity of Roman Law to the flexibility and complexity of contractual relationships in the digital age. The research addresses the importance of the digital signature as a tool to guarantee the authenticity, integrity, and legal validity of electronic contracts. The concepts of electronic, digitized, and digital signatures are explored, as well as the Brazilian legislation that regulates this practice. The relevant Brazilian legislation, especially Law 14.063/2020, is analyzed to verify how it regulates and validates digital signatures, highlighting any gaps or challenges that may still compromise legal security. To clarify the differences between types of signatures, the text details three types: electronic, digitized, and digital, explaining the particularities of each and the authentication methods, with emphasis on the ICP-Brazil certification system. The Brazilian Public Key Infrastructure (ICP-Brasil) is detailed as a fundamental system for the security of digital transactions. In addition, the different modalities of electronic contracts, the tools available for digital signatures are discussed, including presenting free digital signature tools made available by the Brazilian government and the challenges related to the security and legal validity of these documents. It is concluded that the digital signature represents a significant advance in the formalization of contracts, providing greater security, agility, and efficiency in legal relationships.

The role of online information sources in enhancing circular consumption behaviour: Fostering sustainable consumption patterns in the digital age

AbstractCircular consumption is an element of the circular economy that is vital for fostering economic progress whilst addressing environmental degradation and resource scarcity. The majority of the existing studies on the circular economy focus on its organisational aspects and examine circular business models, including approaches to enhance circular value propositions and their advantages. However, the link amongst responsible consumption, digital technologies, consumer behaviour and the circular economy model has received limited attention. We aim to fill this gap by employing behavioural reasoning theory to investigate the intentions of consumers to engage in circular consumption behaviour. We enhance the theoretical robustness of our findings by integrating the theory of consumption values as ‘reason for’ and status quo bias theory as ‘reason against’. We conducted a questionnaire survey in two phases to validate our model and test our hypotheses. We collected our survey data from 305 respondents in Bangladesh and used partial least squares–structural equation modelling to validate our model. Results show that exposure to online information sources significantly influences the ‘reasons for’ and ‘reasons against’ factors. These two factors also demonstrate positive and negative associations with circular consumption behaviour, respectively. These findings offer important insights for service providers, policymakers and government entities.

Investigating the Factors Affecting Customer Trust in E-Commerce

In the rapidly evolving landscape of e-commerce, the foundation of customer trust has emerged as a critical determinant of success for online businesses. This article delves into the multifaceted nature of trust in e-commerce, identifying and analyzing key factors that influence consumer confidence and loyalty. Through a comprehensive examination, we highlight the importance of website design and usability, security measures, customer reviews and testimonials, customer service and support, and the impact of brand reputation and influencer endorsements. The discussion extends to actionable strategies for e-commerce businesses to build and maintain customer trust, emphasizing the need for continuous improvement and adaptation to changing consumer expectations and technological advancements. Real-life case studies provide insights into successful and unsuccessful attempts to foster trust online, underscoring the lessons learned. The article concludes by reflecting on the dynamic nature of trust in e-commerce, urging businesses to stay vigilant and proactive in creating a trustworthy shopping environment. This analysis serves as a valuable resource for e-commerce businesses aiming to navigate the complexities of building trust in the digital age.

Managing Information Overload in a Pandemic: Influence of Social Media on Vaccine Attitudes in the Digital Age

Purpose: This study examined how social media influences public health decisions, focusing on how information overload during a pandemic impacts vaccine hesitancy and acceptance across demographics. It analyzed conflicting vaccine information to understand social media's role in shaping attitudes and identify strategies to mitigate its negative effects. Methodology: This study employed a multi-stage sampling method to gather data from diverse age groups, education levels, and occupations. This approach combines various techniques at different stages, making it suitable for large, geographically dispersed populations. By segmenting the population into manageable units, multi-stage sampling improves the accuracy, reliability, and representativeness of the data collected. Findings: The findings reveal that most respondents consider vaccine information on social media unreliable, underscoring the need for greater trust in online discussions. Many feel overwhelmed by conflicting messages, highlighting the necessity for clearer communication. Social media significantly shapes attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines, with many shifting views after engaging with online content. Additionally, participants report mental health impacts from the constant stream of vaccine information, illustrating information overload. Unique Contributions to Theory, Policy and Practice: This study advances the information overload model by illustrating how excessive and conflicting vaccine information on social media disrupts comprehension and harms mental health. It emphasizes social media's role in shaping health attitudes and advocates for interdisciplinary approaches that incorporate psychological resilience into public health strategies. Findings highlight the need for regulations against misinformation to improve the credibility of online health information and promote trusted sources, particularly verified health organizations. The study also calls for health literacy initiatives to empower the public in navigating misinformation and suggests strategies for managing information overload through social media disengagement. Targeted initiatives that leverage trusted information sources can effectively combat vaccine hesitancy and boost community engagement in public health campaigns, ultimately improving health outcomes.

Application of Fuzzy - AHP - Topsis Model Integration to Select Green C2C Websites in Online Shopping

In today's digital age, online shopping has become an indispensable part of daily life. The strong development of e-commerce platforms helps consumers easily search and choose products from around the world with just a few clicks. Making purchasing decisions is not simple when buyers have to consider many factors such as price, quality, brand and many other factors. To support smart consumers in shopping, the study applied the Fuzzy - AHP - Topsis integrated model to evaluate purchasing criteria on 4 popular C2C websites: Shopee, Tiki, Lazada and Sendo.

Book review: Kwok, Virginia H. Y. (2023). <i>Language learning in the digital age: YouTube and learners of English as a foreign language</i>. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

YouTube has gained global popularity for language education, especially among young language learners in informal contexts. Language Learning in the Digital Age: YouTube and Learners of English as a Foreign Language by Virginia H. Y. Kwok explores how university students in Hong Kong use YouTube to enhance their English language proficiency outside formal classroom settings. Through a qualitative, case study approach, the author delves into diverse ways students navigate and personalise their language learning opportunities on YouTube. This paper reviews the book, focusing on how the book provides a nuanced understanding of student engagement with YouTube and its role in facilitating autonomous and self-directed language learning.

Leveraging ChatGPT for Second Language Writing Feedback and Assessment

This paper discusses the increasingly prominent role of ChatGPT in providing feedback and assessment for L2 writing in the digital age. It reviews representative studies that address five research strands about the use of ChatGPT in L2 writing contexts. After a critical evaluation of the existing literature, the author extensively explains four innovative sub-topics on leveraging ChatGPT for L2 writing feedback and assessment, drawing on multiple creative projects undertaken by her research team. These include: 1) ChatGPT-student collaboration in the L2 writing process; 2) ChatGPT-supported teacher feedback; 3) collaborative processing of ChatGPT feedback; and 4) the potential of ChatGPT for L2 writing assessment. This paper also addresses the importance of teacher training on the use of GenAI in language and writing instruction.

AI Love: An Analysis of Virtual Intimacy in Human-Computer Interaction

Abstract: In the digital age, intimate relationships are gradually becoming scarce, while rapid technological advances are deepening humanity's reliance on virtual relationships. This paper examines the emerging phenomenon of virtual intimacy in human-AI interactions by analyzing recent studies on intimate relationships, virtual intimacy, and human-machine interaction-based virtual intimacy. First, as artificial intelligence technology advances, particularly with the development of affective computing and generative AI, emotional interactions between humans and AI have become more frequent, with virtual companions increasingly being used as tools for emotional support. These relationships can alleviate loneliness and fulfill individual emotional needs to a certain extent. However, AIs emotional responses are generated through algorithms and data processing, lacking genuine emotional resonance, which leads to the risk of emotional dependency and the loss of authenticity in emotional connections. Moreover, privacy and data security issues have become significant challenges in the development of human-AI intimate relationships. Virtual intimacy, as a complex and multi-dimensional research field, still requires further exploration from various perspectives and with diverse subjects.

Recoding America: Why Government is Failing in the Digital Age and How We Can Do Better

Recoding America: Why Government is Failing in the Digital Age and How We Can Do Better

Linguistic Exploitations in T&C/T and S Apply: A Matter in the Digital Age

Linguistic Exploitations in T&C/T and S Apply: A Matter in the Digital Age

Critical approach for drafting scientific paper procedures & practice

In today's informative age, producing a well-structured scientific paper is critical for ensuring that research is read, well understood, and valued. This work focuses on the key components of a modern scientific article, providing practical advice on structure, writing, and formatting in the classical IMRAD style (Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion). By following this methodology and resolving frequent issues, researchers can create clear and impactful papers that stand out in a academic orbit. Target writing for a scientific paper: When you begin writing about your research, begin with a specific target journal in mind. The ability to accurately describe ideas, protocols/procedures, and outcomes are the pillars of scientific writing.