Relation Between Digital Literacy and Internet Use Changes in People with Physical Disabilities During COVID-19

Vollständiger Abstract

Worum geht es in dieser Arbeit?

Since COVID-19, reliance on digital technology has surged, and digital literacy has gained attention as a key factor in explaining changes in how people use the Internet. However, most existing studies have focused on the general public, and there has been insufficient research on how digital literacy relates to changes in Internet usage among people with disabilities. This study examined the effect of digital literacy among people with physical disabilities on changes in Internet use on personal computers (PC) and smart devices during the COVID-19 pandemic using data extracted from the 2020 Digital Divide Survey conducted by the National Information Society Agency. The survey was conducted between September and December 2020. A total of 75,000 individuals participated, of which 2200 were disabled. Data was extracted from participants who used the Internet, and the final analysis data included the response results of 1239 individuals. The findings suggest competence is unrelated to changes in Internet use in PCs and smart environments during COVID-19. For example, use/behavior, search, email, content, life services, and economic activities are related to Internet use changes on PCs and remain static with smart devices. Social media services (SNS), networking, and social participation are negatively related to changes in Internet use on PCs and smart devices. This study extends the discourse on the role of digital literacy among people with disabilities by empirically elucidating the relationship between digital literacy and changes in Internet use among people with physical disabilities during the pandemic, drawing on a nationally representative sample. The results of this study suggest that a digital literacy education program must be developed for people with physical disabilities to lead the necessary digital life in crises such as COVID-19.