The social process of internet appropriation

We generalize and extend the sequential model proposed by the resources and appropriation theory to explain the digital divide in the European Union plus the United Kingdom (EU27+UK). We measure the theoretical constructs of the model with data provided by the EU and test the theoretical predictions...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: López Sintas, Jordi|||0000-0001-5441-4039, Lamberti, Giuseppe|||0000-0002-8666-796X, Sukphan, Jakkapong
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2021
País:España
Institución:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ddd.uab.cat:288026
Acceso en línea:https://ddd.uab.cat/record/288026
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.1016/j.telpol.2020.102055
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Country digital development
Digital divide
Digital skills
Internet use
Physical access
PLS-SEM
Descripción
Sumario:We generalize and extend the sequential model proposed by the resources and appropriation theory to explain the digital divide in the European Union plus the United Kingdom (EU27+UK). We measure the theoretical constructs of the model with data provided by the EU and test the theoretical predictions using a partial least squares structural equation model. We find support for the hypothesized relationships but find that the effects vary depending on the digital development level of countries. While education overall is the primary determinant of the social production of digital inequalities, a country's digital development level is crucial for less well-educated Europeans. These findings have theoretical and practical implications: (1) they call into question the homogeneity of the effect of causal relationships and the assumption that individuals differ only in terms of motivation, access, and digital skills, and (2) they indicate that socially disadvantaged Europeans benefit from living in more digitally developed countries.