Measures Of Internet Use Research Articles

Three measures of internet use, social media use and video game playing as predictors of insomnia during the pandemic among students

Existing research indicates that the relationship between digital technology use and insomnia can largely depend on which digital technology measure and which insomnia measure is considered. Data on 4261 Slovenian tertiary students was gathered through an online survey in February 2021, which included measures of depression and insomnia symptoms, as well as measures of internet, social media and video game use divided into three measurement levels (use, duration of use, addictive use). Regression analysis revealed an apparent effect of measurement level, where addictive use measures consistently outperformed other technology use measures in predicting insomnia. Regardless of measurement level, social media use seems to produce more risk for insomnia, compared to playing video games or general internet use for leisure purposes. Importantly, a single measure of depression symptoms explained more variance in insomnia than the nine measures of digital technology use combined, meaning that the effect of digital technology on sleep should not be overstated. Most of the effect of social media use on insomnia may in fact be explained by understanding users' depression symptoms. In case of gaming, a larger part of its effect on insomnia is independent of depression symptoms.

К вопросу о необходимости ведения аккаунтов в социальных сетях Федеральной службой исполнения наказаний

Social networks are online platforms that allow you to create social relationships between people based on their interests. The article lists the most popular social networks in Russia, identifies electronic resources in which the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia actively brings information about the professional activities of the department. The purpose of this article is to determine the need to maintain accounts in social networks of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia, as well as the format of the information presented to attract public interest in the activities of the department. When writing the work, we used the statistical method (when studying and analyzing statistical data from a population survey, automatic measurement of Internet use), the method of comparative analysis (when studying data from a population survey of different age categories), the formal logical method (when formulating research conclusions), and other general scientific and private scientific methods of cognition (deduction, induction, etc.). In the course of the study, conclusions were formulated regarding the need for the use of social networks by the founder, as well as the centralization of the list of accounts in social networks on the official website of the department.

Neuropsychological aspects of internet-based transit navigation skills in older adults

ABSTRACT Older adults commonly experience difficulties efficiently searching the Internet, which can adversely affect daily functioning. This study specifically examined the neuropsychological aspects of online transit planning in 50 younger (M = 22 years) and 40 older (M = 64 years) community-dwelling adults. All participants completed a neuropsychological battery, questionnaires, and measures of Internet use and skills. Participants used a live transit planning website to complete three inter-related tasks (e.g., map a route from an airport to a specific hotel at a particular time). On a fourth Internet transit task, participants were randomized into either a support condition in which they received brief goal management training or into a control condition. Results showed that older adults were both slower and less accurate than their younger counterparts in completing the first three Internet transit tasks. Within the older adults, Internet transit accuracy showed a medium association with verbal memory, executive functions, and auditory attention, but not visuomotor speed, which was the only domain associated with Internet transit task speed in both groups. The goal management training was beneficial for plan development in younger, but not older adults. The planning supports did not impact actual Internet transit task performance in either group. Findings indicate that older adults experience difficulties quickly and accurately using a transit website to plan transportation routes, which is associated with poorer higher-order neurocognitive functions (e.g., memory). Future work might examine the benefits of established memory strategies (e.g., spaced retrieval practice) for online transit planning.

The Janus-Face of Digitalization: The Relation Between Internet Use and Civic Engagement Reconsidered

Research on the influence of digital technology on civic engagement debates whether Internet use leads to the decline of civic engagement or enables new social contacts and exchanges. We argue that whether Internet use has positive or negative effects on our civic engagement depends on how we use the Internet: Social Internet use and Internet use for information strengthen civic engagement, while private Internet use and Internet use for entertainment erode civic engagement. Data from the Longitudinal Internet Studies for the Social sciences (LISS) Panel and the Swiss Household Panel (SHP) allow us to employ differentiated measures of Internet use. In particular, their panel structure helps diminish the endogeneity problems of cross-sectional studies. By employing an autoregressive cross-lagged panel design, we are able to disentangle the relation between Internet use and associational participation and estimate the causal effect between the two variables in both directions. Analyzing associational participation as a pivotal pillar of the civil society, we show that social Internet use for information, in particular exchanging e-mails, but also being active on social network sites in the SHP, increases the likelihood of becoming or remaining active in an organization. At the same time, we fail to find consistent and robust evidence for the negative effects of Internet use. However, the causal relation also works the other way round: Associational participation was shown to increase the time respondents spend with writing e-mails, leading to a virtuous circle, whereby online and off-line forms of social engagement complement and enhance each other.

A Measurement Model of University Students’ Self-reported Perceptions of Internet Use for Learning

With the increased popularity of the Internet for instructional purposes in the recent years, learners can now ably build a positive attitude towards its use in their learning activities through constant interaction with various information technologies. The purpose of this study was three-fold: to examine the extent to which students’ self-reported perceptions of Internet use constituted meaningful and interpretable dimensions of the Internet use in learning construct; to test the construct adequacy in terms of its validity and reliability; and establish if the measurement model is an adequate measure of Internet use for learning across levels of internet knowledge. The sample consisted of 258 undergraduates from six faculties of Islamic University in Uganda. The data were collected using a self-reported 16-item questionnaire that measured undergraduate students’ perceptions on Internet use for learning and analysed using Structural Equation Modeling and Confirmatory Factor Analysis with AMOS software version 22.0. The study findings reveal that students’ Internet use for learning is a valid and reliable multidimensional construct with AVEs>0.5, shared variance <0.5 and composite and Cronbach Alpha >0.7; and the measurement is Internet knowledge-invariant with chi-square change p>05. The results supported and extended the results of previous work on students’ perceptions about internet use for learning. The findings are useful for evidence-based decision making regarding the integration of internet applications in student learning activities, and in enhancing future research in the domain of Internet use and pedagogy.

How Much Time Do You Spend Online? Understanding and Improving the Accuracy of Self-Reported Measures of Internet Use

ABSTRACTGiven the importance of survey measures of online media use for communication research, it is crucial to assess and improve their quality, in particular because the increasingly fragmented and ubiquitous usage of internet complicates the accuracy of self-reported measures. This study contributes to the discussion regarding the accuracy of self-reported internet use by presenting relevant factors potentially affecting biases of self-reports and testing survey design strategies to improve accuracy. Combining automatic tracking data and survey data from the same participants (N = 690) confirmed low levels of accuracy and tendencies of over-reporting. The analysis revealed biases due to a range of factors associated with the intensity of (actual) internet usage, propensity to multitask, day of reference, and the usage of mobile devices. An anchoring technique could not be proved to reduce inaccuracies of reporting behavior. Several recommendations for research practice follow from these findings.

Computer self-efficacy and computer attitude as correlates of internet use of secondary school students’ in Nigeria

The Internet as a useful tool that supports teaching and learning is not in full use in most secondary schools in Nigeria hence limiting the students from maximizing the potentials of Internet in advancing their academic pursuits. This study, therefore, examined the extent to which computer self-efficacy and computer attitude influence Internet use among senior secondary school students (SS1 and SS11) in public secondary schools in Lagos State, Nigeria. This study utilized the descriptive survey research design of the ex-post-facto type. Instruments used to collect data were Computer Self-Efficacy (CSE) (r=0.73), Computer Attitude (CATT) (r=0.85), and Internet Use (IU) (r=0.78)) scales. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation and Multiple regressions at 0.8 level of significance. The relative contributions of the independent measures of Internet use were: CSE (β= .319, t=7.712), and ATC (β=-.099, t=3.085). The Computer Self-Efficacy, and Computer Attitude of senior secondary school students significantly influenced Internet use (F (3,559) = 60.064) respectively.Keywords: Computer Self-efficacy, computer attitude, secondary school students, internet use

Measuring internet use: comparisons of different assessments and with internet addiction

Background: The measurement of Internet use is an under-documented topic despite the worldwide growth of problematic Internet use and the recent debate in addiction research suggesting that heavy use over time should be suitable for population-based assessment. This study compared different measures of Internet use to identify the most relevant one, and tested whether Internet use was a good proxy of self-reported Internet addiction.Methods: Data were collected in the ado@internet.ch study among 3054 Swiss 8th grade adolescents. Different assessments of Internet use (frequency, number of hours spent on Internet, quantity-frequency measure, latent score) were compared using rank invariance across instruments. We also examined associations of Internet use with health outcomes (Internet addiction, wellbeing, somatic health problems, and quantity of sleeping). Additionally, associations of Internet addiction with health outcomes were investigated.Results: Quantity-frequency captured 82% of the variability of average quantity and 64% of the variability of frequency, whereas the latent score captured respectively 94% and 52%. Regression models showed that frequency displayed the lowest associations with Internet addiction (b = 0.128) and wellbeing (b=−0.038). The associations of other Internet use measures were very similar. Associations of Internet addiction with wellbeing were higher than those of Internet use with wellbeing, whereas the other associations were similar.Conclusions: The quantity-frequency appeared as the most reliable and straightforward measure of Internet use. However, Internet use seemed to be only one factor in Internet addiction. This study was a first step toward proposing a unique relevant tool of Internet use in epidemiological research.

A selective involvement of putamen functional connectivity in youth with internet gaming disorder

Brain cortico-striatal circuits have consistently been implicated in the pathology of addiction related disorders. We applied a reliable seed-based analysis of the resting-state brain activity to comprehensively delineate the subdivisions of striatal functional connectivity implicated in internet gaming disorder. Among twelve right-handed male adolescents with internet gaming disorder and 11 right-handed and gender-matched healthy controls, we examined group differences in the functional connectivity of dorsal and ventral subdivisions of the caudate nucleus and putamen, as well as the association of these connectivity indices with behavioral measures of internet use. Adolescents with internet gaming disorder showed significantly reduced dorsal putamen functional connectivity with the posterior insula-parietal operculum. More time spent playing online games predicted significantly greater functional connectivity between the dorsal putamen and bilateral primary somatosensory cortices in adolescents with internet gaming disorder, and significantly lower functional connectivity between the dorsal putamen and bilateral sensorimotor cortices in healthy controls. The dorsal putamen functional connectivity was significantly and specifically different in adolescents with internet gaming disorder. The findings suggest a possible biomarker of internet gaming disorder.

Digital Media and Traditional Political Participation Over Time in the U.S.

ABSTRACT Research shows that digital media use is positively related to political participation. However, this relationship does not appear in all studies. To date, researchers have generally treated inconsistent findings from study to study and from election to election as an empirical problem that reflects differences in measurement and model specification. In this article, we question the assumption that a consistent relationship between Internet use and political participation should exist over time. We test this expectation using 12 years of data from the American National Election Studies. Our findings support the expectation that a general measure of Internet use for political information is not consistently related to six acts of traditional political participation across elections.

Children's Meetings Offline with People Met Online:

Building on EU Kids Online data, this article deals with the psycho-social context of children's meetings with “complete strangers” as opposed to meetings with “friends of friends”, that is, people who are already connected to their social network. The original contribution of this article lies in the distinction operated between the types of people met this way for several measures of internet use and the children's psychological characteristics. The study hypothesizes children who met any type of online contacts (“friends of friends”, “complete strangers” or “both”) to be heavier internet users than children who met no one. Moreover, children who met “complete strangers” or “both” were expected to report higher levels of risk-taking behaviour online and offline than children who met “friends of friends” or no one. The same relations were hypothesized for the psychological characteristics. Finally, harm was expected to occur more in the case of meetings with “complete strangers” or “both” than in the case of meetings with “friends of friends”.

Internet use, happiness, social support and introversion: A more fine grained analysis of person variables and internet activity

The Internet is no longer an advanced technology accessible to a select few. It has become a ubiquitous tool for users ranging from professional programmers to casual surfers and young children. The exponential increase in time online has prompted curiosity and speculation about the interaction between this technology and individual person variables. While general survey data exist regarding broad patterns of Internet use, less is known about the relationship between specific usage and individual personality dimensions, mood variables, or social activity. This study sought to clarify several of these relationships. One hundred eighty-five undergraduate student volunteers completed two detailed measures of Internet use across various domains (for example: work/school, tasks/services, entertainment), as well as measures of happiness, perceived social support, and introversion. Specific types of Internet use, including gaming and entertainment usage, were found to predict perceived social support, introversion and happiness. Use of the Internet for mischief-related activities (for example: downloading without payment, fraud, snooping) was associated with lower levels of happiness and social support. These findings support the utility of and need for specific rather than general Internet research. Directions for future research clarifying the role of the Internet in quality of life and interpersonal relations are suggested.

Sophistication of Internet usage (SIU) and its attitudinal antecedents: An empirical study in Hong Kong

The measurement of Internet use in empirical studies has undergone a progression from uni-item measurement to multi-item measurement. Based on several operationalizations of Internet use in existing studies, the paper proposes a reflective measurement model, called ‘sophistication of Internet usage’ (SIU), with five indicators (online time, online activities, online skills, diversity of online method, and diversity of online places). With data from a longitudinal random survey conducted in Hong Kong from 2003 to 2005, a uni-dimension measurement model is established based on confirmatory factor analysis. Convergent and discriminant validity of the uni-dimension model is also established within multi-trait-multi-method (MTMM) paradigm by confirmatory factor analysis. The model shows that individuals’ positive life outcome expectation, expected ease of use, and perceived popularity of the Internet are significant antecedents of SIU with demographic characteristics controlled.

Dispositional factors in internet use

This study directly tests the effect of personality and cognitive style on three measures of Internet use. The results support the use of personality-but not cognitive style-as an antecedent variab...

The Internet Vocabulary Test for Children: preliminary development

PurposeCurrently, the only mechanisms to determine children's use of the Internet are interviews and questionnaires. To increase the validity of theory and research and ensure that practitioners and policy‐makers are guided by accurate information, an improved method of determining children's patterns of Internet use is required. The purpose of this study is to present the Internet Vocabulary Test for Children (IVTC) as a measure of Internet use in children.Design/methodology/approachThe IVTC requires oral definition of ten terms (Internet, gamer, e‐mail, search engine, chat, online games, instant messaging, cheats, web site, browser). An elementary school in rural western Canada agreed to participate in trial administration of the IVTC. All children in first through sixth grade were invited to participate (n=149). Parents completed a consent form and a questionnaire. A total of 128 children (62 males and 66 females) were administered the IVTC.FindingsTrial administration of the IVTC established the viability of determining children's use of the Internet with a test of expressive vocabulary.Originality/valueGiven the rate of population penetration coupled with rapidly changing technology, measuring children's Internet use presents challenges. Simple solutions such as the development of software and firmware to monitor children's online behavior may provide misinformation. That is, surveillance influences behavior and children's Internet activities often involve multiple users. The IVTC is not vulnerable to biased responding, is inexpensive, and easily administered.

Dispositional Factors in Internet Use: Personality versus Cognitive Style

This study directly tests the effect of personality and cognitive style on three measures of Internet use. The results support the use of personality-but not cognitive style-as an antecedent variable. After controlling for computer anxiety, self-efficacy, and gender, including the Big Five personality factors in the analysis significantly adds to the predictive capabilities of the dependent variables. Including cognitive style does not. The results are discussed in terms of the role of personality and cognitive style in models of technology adoption and use.

Searching for Self and Relationships Online

The purpose of this project was to study how Internet use relates to psychological well-being, relationships, the self and identity. University students (N = 203) completed a battery of questionnaires including measures of time spent online, "pathological" Internet use, Internet motivation, loneliness, relationship quality, self-concept clarity, and ego identity. Results showed positive relationships between measures of Internet use and loneliness. As well, face-to-face relationships were rated higher on both positive and negative quality dimensions relative to online relationships. Finally, Internet use was negatively correlated with self-concept clarity, and associated with moratorium identity status. These results suggest that the Internet may be an important aid for young adults as they searched for an adult identity.

INTERNET USE ADOPTION AMONG ACADEMICIANS: Comparing Innovative Adopters and Other Adopter Types

The current study aims to find an answer to the research question: “how does Internet use differ between academicians who are innovative adopters and other adopter types”. In particular, we focus on three measures of Internet use: years of experience on online shopping,frequency of purchase, and price spent on items purchased online by specifically focusing on Malaysian Internet users' online buying behaviour. Thus, this study concentrates on Business to Consumer (B2C) market.

Internet Accessibility and Usage among Urban Adolescents in Southern California: Implications for Web-Based Health Research

The World Wide Web (WWW) poses a distinct capability to offer interventions tailored to the individual's characteristics. To fine tune the tailoring process, studies are needed to explore how Internet accessibility and usage are related to demographic, psychosocial, behavioral, and other health related characteristics. This study was based on a cross-sectional survey conducted on 2373 7th grade students of various ethnic groups in Southern California. Measures of Internet use included Internet use at school or at home, Email use, chat-room use, and Internet favoring. Logistic regressions were conducted to assess the associations between Internet uses with selected demographic, psychosocial, behavioral variables and self-reported health statuses. The proportion of students who could access the Internet at school or home was 90% and 40%, separately. Nearly all (99%) of the respondents could access the Internet either at school or at home. Higher SES and Asian ethnicity were associated with higher internet use. Among those who could access the Internet and after adjusting for the selected demographic and psychosocial variables, depression was positively related with chat-room use and using the Internet longer than 1 hour per day at home, and hostility was positively related with Internet favoring (All ORs = 1.2 for +1 STD, p < 0.05). Less parental monitoring and more unsupervised time were positively related to email use, chat-room use, and at home Internet use (ORs for +1 STD ranged from 1.2 to 2.0, all p < 0.05), but not related to at school Internet use. Substance use was positively related to email use, chat-room use, and at home Internet use (OR for "used" vs. "not used" ranged from 1.2 to 4.0, p < 0.05). Self-reported health problems were associated with higher levels of Internet use at home but lower levels of Internet use at school. More physical activity was related to more email use (OR = 1.3 for +1 STD), chat room use (OR = 1.2 for +1 STD), and at school ever Internet use (OR = 1.2 for +1 STD, all p < 0.05). Body mass index was not related to any of the Internet use-related measures. In this ethnically diverse sample of Southern California 7(th) grade students, 99% could access the Internet at school and/or at home. This suggests that the Internet is already a potential venue for large scale health communication studies. Adolescents with more psychosocial risk factors or detrimental health behaviors were more likely to use the Internet. Therefore, if used properly, Internet interventions could effectively address the high risk populations. Additional research is needed to gain a more complete understanding of the positive and negative consequences of Internet use among adolescents.

An exploration of student internet use in India

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore behavioral processes involved in internet technology acceptance and use with a sample in India, a developing country that can potentially benefit from greater participation in the web economy.Design/methodology/approachUser experience was incorporated into the technology acceptance model (TAM) and the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) to predict intentions to use the internet as well as self‐reported usage. Data were collected from 269 college students with a questionnaire methodology. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was applied to test each theory, as well as user experience, and the variables' interactive effects on the criterion of internet usage intentions.FindingsBoth TAM and TPB were supported in their predictions of internet use intentions and usage. Although a main effect for user experience did not emerge, it did significantly interact with components of both theoretical models, suggesting that it has a complex influence on internet user intentions.Research limitations/implicationsThe self‐report criteria are a limitation. Future research should employ more objective measures of internet use. Also, antecedents of internet use might be explored in other developing economies.Practical implicationsTo encourage internet usage intentions, it appears worthwhile to create in potential users a sense that the technology is useful, easy to use, and that others have expectations regarding its usage.Originality/valueFindings suggest that theories of technology acceptance developed in the Western world may also apply in India.