IMPROVING INTERNET SKILLS: THE ROLE OF GENDER, AGE, EDUCATION, INTERNET EXPERIENCE, AND TIME SPENT ONLINE IN RELATION TO ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND AND USE VARIOUS TYPES OF ONLINE CONTENT AND MEDIUMS

Abstract

This study aims to determine whether or not there is a correlation between demographic variables (such as age, education level, time spent online, and internet competence) and the medium and content preferences of audiences. Due to the increasing importance of the internet in people's daily lives and the rapid development of new technologies, it is crucial to understand the factors that affect people's level of comfort and familiarity while navigating the web. Differences emerge across demographic factors such as age, education, internet familiarity, time spent online, and skill with various forms of media and material. This study contributed to an expansion of the previously established skill framework by adding communication Internet capabilities to the operational, formal, informational, and strategic categories. They investigated several forms of aid that help people get by when they don't have the necessary abilities. Further, they investigated if Internet proficiency is indeed necessary for realising benefits from using the internet, and whether the usage of assistance resources could mitigate these advantages. The results of a large-scale poll classified respondents into three separate support groups: independent voters, social support seekers, and formal assistance seekers. The improved ability to communicate seems to be a valuable feature, since it has a major impact on effective use of the Internet. They're a great asset because of this. More so than those who sought institutional help and even more so than those who sought social support, independent Internet users received the advantages of utilizing the Internet. Effective use of online communication tools may help users get the most out of their time online despite their lack of in-depth subject-matter expertise. The result would be a significant increase in individual freedom for Internet users.