Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Özsoy D. (Yürütücü), Akbulut E., Atilgan S. S.
TÜBİTAK Projesi, 2016 - 2019
Digital divide is among the most
important problems required to be overcome by our contemporary information
society; whereas, skills are among the principle determinants of such
inequalities. This study examines the digital divide in a non-Western
population which has not been studied before, and specifically it measures the
digital skill levels of the people living in the Northeastern Anatolia region
of Turkey. The primary contribution of the study is confirmatory of previous
research regarding digital skills, though in the context of a
previously-unexamined population. By using a sample representing the region (n
= 400), the digital skills levels of the participants were measured. Data were collected
through performance tests developed by van Deursen and van Dijk. Findings
indicate that the digital skill level of the participants is generally low. The
users are most successful at the formal level, followed by operational,
informational and strategic skills respectively. The level of strategic skill
is quite low, which hints at the fact that the users studied are not able to
translate their Internet use into real-world tangible benefits. It is also
found that age, gender, education, household income significantly predicts
digital skills level.