Using the internet: Skill related problems in users’ online behavior
Abstract
This study extends the conventional and superficial notion of measuring digital skills by proposing definitions for operational, formal, information and strategic skills. The main purpose was to identify individual skill related problems that users experience when navigating the Internet. In particular, lower levels of education and aging seem to contribute to the amount of experienced operational and formal skill related problems. With respect to information skills, higher levels of education seem to perform best. Age did not seem to contribute to information skill related problems. Results did reveal that age had a negative effect on selecting irrelevant search results. Individual strategic Internet skill related problems occurred often, with the exception of subjects with higher levels of education. Younger subjects experienced far less operational and formal skill related problems, but there was no difference regarding information and strategic skill related problems.
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The first page of Google results is checked by 91% of searchers.
“based on previous studies showing that 91% of searchers check only this page (Van Deursen & van Dijk, 2009).”
From People analytics—A scoping review of conceptual boundaries and value propositions (2018) · cites this paper as Van Deursen & van Dijk, 2009
Cites
Digital Divide: Civic Engagement, Information Poverty, and the Internet Worldwide
Norris, P. (2001) · doi:10.1017/cbo9781139164887 · Cited by 2,921 · see citing works
Experiments in Digital Literacy
Alkali, Y. E., & Amichai-Hamburger, Y. (2004) · CyberPsychology & Behavior · doi:10.1089/cpb.2004.7.421 · Cited by 364 · see citing works
Internet Usage by Low-Literacy Adults Seeking Health Information: An Observational Analysis
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“This is in accordance with other information-seeking studies (e.g., Aula and Nordhausen, 2006; Birru et al., 2004; Hargittai, 2003).”
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Scheerder, A., van Deursen, A., & van Dijk, J. (2017) · Telematics and Informatics · doi:10.1016/j.tele.2017.07.007 · Cited by 1,471 · see citing works
Mapping Digital Competence: Towards a Conceptual Understanding.
Ala-Mutka, K. (2011) · European Commission, JRC, Institute for Prospective Technological Studies · doi:10.13140/rg.2.2.18046.00322 · Cited by 508 · see citing works
Chattaraman, V., Kwon, W.-S., Gilbert, J. E., & Ross, K. (2019) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2018.08.048 · Cited by 510 · see citing works
van der Vaart, R., van Deursen, A. J., Drossaert, C. H., Taal, E., van Dijk, J. A., & van de Laar, M. A. (2011) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/jmir.1840 · Cited by 404 · see citing works
van Deursen, A. J. A. M., & van Dijk, J. A. G. M. (2015) · The Information Society · doi:10.1080/01972243.2015.1069770 · Cited by 353 · see citing works
Self-citationSiddiq, F., Hatlevik, O. E., Olsen, R. V., Throndsen, I., & Scherer, R. (2016) · Educational Research Review · doi:10.1016/j.edurev.2016.05.002 · Cited by 269 · see citing works
People analytics—A scoping review of conceptual boundaries and value propositions
Tursunbayeva, A., Di Lauro, S., & Pagliari, C. (2018) · International Journal of Information Management · doi:10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2018.08.002 · Cited by 263 · see citing works
Baumel, A., Faber, K., Mathur, N., Kane, J. M., & Muench, F. (2017) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/jmir.7270 · Cited by 206 · see citing works
Baumel, A., Edan, S., & Kane, J. M. (2019) · Translational Behavioral Medicine · doi:10.1093/tbm/ibz147 · Cited by 143 · see citing works
Issa, T., & Hall, M. (2024) · Heliyon · doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e38759 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Civil Servants’ Internet Skills: Are They Ready for E-Government?
van Deursen, A., & van Dijk, J. (2010) · Lecture Notes in Computer Science · doi:10.1007/978-3-642-14799-9_12 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
“To encourage research to focus on in-depth skill measurement, Van Deursen & Van Dijk [3,4] elaborated four types of Internet skills.”
- Authors
- van Deursen, A. J. A. M., & van Dijk, J. A. G. M.
- Venue
- Interacting with Computers
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2009-12
- Volume
- 21
- Issue
- 5-6
- Pages
- 393-402
- ISSN
- 0953-5438 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2124483205
- Cited by
- 361
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 31 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 27 · 2020: 31 · 2019: 22 · 2018: 52 · 2017: 29 · 2016: 20 · 2015: 19 · 2014: 18 · 2013: 16 · 2012: 15
- FWCI
- 33.89
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Interacting with Computers (publishedVersion)
- University of Twente Research Information (publishedVersion)
- HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
- University of Twente Research Information (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Demography › Technology Use by Older Adults
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Information Systems › Digital literacy in education
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Information Systems › Information Retrieval and Search Behavior
- Keywords
- digital skills, internet use, online behavior, operational skills, information skills, strategic skills, educational attainment, age, information seeking
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