Factors affecting smartphone online activity use in South Korea: with a focus on the moderating effect of disability sta
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Factors affecting smartphone online activity use in South Korea: with a focus on the moderating effect of disability status Kyung Mee Kim1 · Ju Hee Hwang2
© Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract The aim of this study is to analyse whether motivation, Internet attitudes, Internet skills, social support resources, and disability status impact users’ online engagement levels by examining the Internet activity of smartphone users based on certain variables and disability status. The study also reports on the effects of these independent variables according to disability status. Secondary data from the 2017 Digital Divide survey conducted by the National Information Society Agency in Korea were used for the analysis. The sample included 1649 persons with disabilities and 5798 persons without disabilities. We found that higher levels of motivation, positive Internet attitudes, and better Internet skills increased the online engagement of smartphone users regardless of the presence or absence of their disabilities. In terms of interaction effects, persons with disabilities (PWD) who had positive Internet attitudes as well as access to better social support resources were more likely to engage in online activities than persons without disabilities. These results support the importance of policies, ensuring that high-quality smartphones and user support are available to PWD. Moreover, web developers should adhere to universal design to maximise the proliferation of information to everyone. This study also underscores the necessity of tailored technical training for PWD with the hope of fostering positive Internet attitudes by improving access to Internet-ready devices and by increasing the Internet’s perceived enjoyment value. Keywords Persons with disabilities · Online activities · Motivation · Internet attitudes · Internet skills · Social resources
1 Introduction In Korea, 82.1% of persons with disabilities (PWD) use the Internet at home compared to 93.5% of persons without disabilities (PWOD), according to the 2018 Report on the Digital Divide published by the National Information Society Agency [42]. This 82% rate of home Internet access for PWD is much higher than the average 55% reported in twenty-seven European countries [45]. However, the combined PWD Internet usage rate for computers and cellular * Ju Hee Hwang [email protected] Kyung Mee Kim [email protected] 1
Department of Social Welfare, Soongsil University, Sangdo‑Ro 369, Dongjak‑Gu, Seoul 06978, Korea
The Social Policy Center for Persons with Disability Department, Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs (KIHASA), Building D, 370 Sicheong‑daero, Sejong City 30147, Korea
2
phones is 77.4%, which is significantly lower than the rate for PWOD (91.5%). Only 75.8% of PWD own cellular phones compared to 91.0% of PWOD. These results suggest that people with disabilities may find it difficult to adapt to the evolving digital media environment [42]. Koreans with disabilities often face discrimina
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