Changes in Internet use during the COVID-19 confinement in Ecuador, Peru, Colombia and Argentina

the CoVid-19 pandemic drastically changed different aspects of the daily lives of millions of people, generating an increase in the use of the internet for maintaining social contact, teleworking or online studies. this study explores the extent to which the internet connection pattern changed during the CoVid-19 confinement in a sample of adults from four latin american countries, considering gender and age. a descriptive study was carried out, including a non-probabilistic convenience sample design. the final sample was comprised of 1488 participants. this analysis shows that internet habits changed in terms of frequency, duration, and time of use. We observe differences when it comes to gender and age. in women, the increases in use are greater for the different variables analyzed, especially for the frequency of connection at night. in terms of age, the younger the age, the greater the increase in internet connection time throughout the day and connection time at night. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Spanish) la pandemia de CoVid-19 cambio drasticamente diferentes aspectos de la vida cotidiana de millones de personas, generando un incremento del uso de internet para el mantenimiento del contacto social, el teletrabajo o los estudios online. en este articulo se evalua en que medida presento cambios el patron de conexion a internet durante el confinamiento por CoVid-19 en una muestra de adultos de cuatro paises de america latina, considerando el sexo y la edad. se propuso un estudio descriptivo, con diseno no probabilistico de muestreo por conveniencia. la muestra final quedo compuesta por 1488 participantes. el analisis muestra que los habitos de conexion a internet se modificaron en terminos de frecuencia, duracion y horarios, observandose diferencias en funcion del sexo y la edad. en mujeres son mayores los incrementos de uso para las distintas variables analizadas, especialmente para la frecuencia de conexion nocturna. en cuanto a la edad, a menor edad se observa un mayor aumento del tiempo de conexion a internet a lo largo del dia y de conexion en horario nocturno. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Prevalence and Associated Factors of Internet Addiction Among Male Students of Jubail University College, Saudi Arabia

This study aims to determine the associated factors and prevalence of Internet addiction among Jubail University College – Male Branch students. Descriptive cross-sectional method was applied. 171 students participated. Self-administered survey questionnaire was the data-gathering instrument. Young's Internet Addiction Test was used to determine the level of internet usage. Factors associated with high internet consumption are accessibility, boredom, isolation, and extreme weather condition. Covid-19 pandemic changed the way respondents consume internet. It also changed the respondents' sleeping pattern and increases the average internet usage per day. Though the internet played a vital role during Covid-19 pandemic, it also increases the dependency of students on it. Higher number of moderate level internet addiction has been found among respondents. Therefore, it is encouraged that JUC should design a program to address the current situation.

Effect of digital gap on virtual care in the time of COVID-19 pandemic: empirical evidence in Taiwan

Decent internet usage rates make Taiwan a case to succeed in virtual care practices during the pandemic. We investigate how internet usage rates across regions condition Taiwan's varieties, concerns, and expectations for virtual care. During the semi-lockdown, we fielded an online census of the managers of care programs for people with disabilities (PWDs). 70% of the PWDs care programs provide three to four virtual care types. Concerned about the PWDs' degeneration and their family caregivers' capacity, respondents expect empowerment of their programs. High internet usage rates facilitate more diversified virtual care, fewer concerns, and various expected assistance. © 2023 Department of Social Work, National University of Singapore, Singapore.

[E-physicians in Hungary: Experiences and opinions related to digital health among Hungarian physicians]. / E-orvosok Magyarországon: Digitális egészséggel kapcsolatos tapasztalatok és vélemények a hazai orvosok körében.

INTRODUCTION: The digitalization of healthcare is one of the most topical issues in terms of the present and future of healthcare. The coronavirus pandemic has shed light on the potential inherent in these technologies, and at the same time brought to the surface countless tasks and problems that need to be solved. OBJECTIVE: In our national survey, our aim is to find out how medical doctors are adapting to digital healthcare solutions. METHOD: Between July 2021 and May 2022, we conducted an online questionnaire survey among doctors working in Hungary. 1774 people answered our questions, including 1576 general practitioners and 198 dentists. In this paper, the 1576 general practitioners' responses are presented. RESULTS: 78.8% of the respondent doctors recommend websites to their patients on a more or less regular basis, 52.8% have recommended apps and 46.0% have recommended social media resources. The respondent doctors perceive a high demand from patients for communication by e-mail (83.7% indicated). 86.4% of doctors are aware of telemedicine solutions and 47.5% of respondents would like to use them intensively in the next 3 years. A significant proportion of respondents would like to use apps (56.2%), sensors, portable diagnostic devices (49.0%) and artificial intelligence (28.3%) in the next 3 years. Websites, apps and social media resources are significantly more frequently recommended by general practitioners and they are the ones who are most in favour of the use of the internet for patient health and telemedicine. CONCLUSION: Our respondents manifest fundamentally positive feelings towards the digitalization of healthcare and are characterized by a cautious openness regarding the implementation and adaptation of technologies. Orv Hetil. 2023; 164(4): 132-139.

Assessment on infection prevention and control knowledge among medical professionals in south Indian population.

INTRODUCTION: Healthcare workers are always at higher risk of biological exposure as the healthcare setting is hazardous, and it is impracticable to exclude infection. Poor compliance with standard precautions among healthcare workers is one of the leading causes of healthcare-associated infections. This study analyzed the gaps in knowledge, attitude, and practice of infection control among healthcare workers and the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic, internet, and social media usage on infection control. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was conducted from 1st to 31st March 2022 among various healthcare professionals using a self-administered structured questionnaire to evaluate knowledge, attitude, and practice on infection control. The impact of COVID-19, Internet, and social media usage on infection control practices was also analyzed. RESULTS: Among 382 healthcare workers who participated in the study, 89.4% of the participants had good knowledge, 55.26% had a neutral attitude, and all showed good practice levels on infection control. Similarly, the result showed that internet and social media usage during COVID-19 had significantly enhanced the knowledge, attitude, and practice on infection control. CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare professionals must be frequently updated on infection control guidelines and routine training programs. The hospital's adherence to the Joint Commission International (JCI) guidelines reduces the risk of healthcare-associated infections. As observed in this study, due to the prominent influence of social media and the internet, these platforms can be exploited to provide training and awareness to healthcare professionals and the public.

HOW CAN DIGITALIZATION ACCOMPANYING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AFFECT ATTITUDES TOWARDS POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS? THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INTERNET USAGE ACTIVITY AND INSTITUTIONAL TRUST

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, people began to use the Internet more actively. Accordingly, the question arises of how the accelerated digitalization, which became one of the results of the pandemic, has affected various aspects of our lives, including our attitude to the political power institutions. This article discusses the relation of Internet usage activity and the trust toward the political institutions in European countries. There are contradicting data in the literature regarding the relationship between institutional trust and the activity of using the Internet. We assumed that the direction of relationship is associated with the efficiency of the state power institutions. Based on the government effectiveness index, we have chosen five European countries with the highest government efficiency and five countries with the lowest. To assess the activity of using the Internet, we used data from the European Social Survey (ESS) that show the average frequency of Internet use during the month and the average duration of its use during the day. The dependent variables were respondents' assessments of their own trust in the different political institutions. Next, using multiple regression analysis, we assessed the relationship between two indicators of Internet use activity and trust in each of the institutions. The results of the regression analysis demonstrated that in the countries with low government efficiency, the activity of Internet usage is negatively associated with trust in various political institutions. In countries with high government efficiency, we found a positive relationship between Internet usage activity and institutional trust. © 2023 National Research University Higher School of Economics. All rights reserved.

Is there a Common Digital Market in the European Union? Implications for the European Digitalization Strategy

Due to the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic, people has changed the way they work, learn and socialize. As result, it is important to identify the pre‐existing digital gaps to implement the European Union digitalization strategy. This study aims to identify typologies of internet use in the 28 European Union (EU) countries (at the time of the survey), based on the characteristics of the users and their internet usage patterns. A two‐level latent class analysis was applied. At the first level, individuals within each country were grouped according to their characteristics of internet use;and, simultaneously, at the second level, countries were grouped based on the similar structure of individual segments. Using data from Eurobarometer, results show that internet use in the EU digital market is not homogeneous. The European Commission should take these pre‐existing gaps into account in the EU digitalization strategy.

Exploring psychological correlates of problematic internet use

Internet use has become an essential part of our daily lives;however, its widespread use has also called attention to potential negative consequences around the world. Research on problematic internet use has been hindered by a lack of clear definition and diagnosis. This study aimed to examine the relationships between the level of problematic internet use and psychological variables in order to determine common psychological correlates among those who are considered to exhibit problematic internet use. In this study, a diverse sample of 127 American adults completed measures of problematic internet use, depression, anxiety, personality dimensions, and substance use. Descriptive, correlational, and regression analyses were used to identify these relationships. Results indicated that as predicted, there were significant positive correlations between depression, anxiety, and substance use with problematic internet use. However, no significant relationship was found between extraversion and problematic internet use. Overall, male participants in the sample exhibited higher levels of problematic internet use. COVID-19 also appears to have had an effect on the sample, as 85.8% indicated an increase in internet use due to the pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Analysis of Cyber Attacks and Cyber Incident Patterns over APCERT Member Countries

Globally, internet usage has grown rapidly over the decades. However, this increase in usage of ICT and internet arouses cyber-security challenges such as Data Privacy, malicious cyber-attacks etc. Cyber defense and threat prevention can be managed gracefully if we have better knowledge about the threat trends, attack patterns and advance preparedness to handle victimized situations. In this paper, we study different elements of cyber security, types of cyber threats and their articulation. We further perform data analysis of attack patterns of cyber threats and malicious activities over APCERT countries (India, Japan, Sri Lank and Singapore). We investigate the most targeted countries, most common malwares and sectoral distribution of cyber threats. We also analyze the effect of COVID-19 outbreak over the attack patterns and global trends. © 2022 IEEE.

Longitudinal relationship between problematic internet use with loneliness during and after COVID-19 social restrictions: Short title: Internet use and loneliness.

Two, three-month long longitudinal studies examined the temporal relationships between problematic internet use (PIU), internet usage, and loneliness ratings, during and after lockdown restrictions. Experiment 1 examined 32, 18-51 year old participants, over a three-month period of lockdown restrictions. Experiment 2 studied 41, 18-51 year old participants, over a three-month period following the lifting of lockdown restrictions. Participants completed the internet addiction test, UCLA loneliness scale, and answered questioned about their online usage, at two time points. All cross-sectional analyses revealed a positive relationship between PIU and loneliness. However, there was no association between online use and loneliness. Longitudinal relationships between PIU and loneliness differed during and after lockdown restrictions. During a period of lockdown, there were both positive associations between earlier PIU and subsequent loneliness, and between earlier loneliness and subsequent PIU. However, following the easing of lockdown restrictions, only the temporal relationship between earlier internet addiction and later loneliness was significant.

Differences in attitude toward COVID-19 based on internet and social media usage among community-dwelling older adults during the first state of emergency.

AIM: In order to understand the digital divide among older adults during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, we investigated the association between internet use and compliance with COVID-19 preventive behaviors during the first state of emergency in Japan. METHODS: A total of 8952 community-dwelling citizens aged 75 years and above were asked about their preventive behaviors during the first state of emergency using a paper-based questionnaire. Among them, 51% responded and were divided into internet users and non-users. We used multivariable logistic regression models to estimate the adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals of internet use for compliance with preventive behaviors. RESULTS: Approximately 40% of the respondents used the internet, and 9.29% used social media to collect COVID-19-related information. Internet usage was independently associated with compliance with using hand sanitizers, avoiding going out, avoiding eating out, avoiding traveling, getting vaccinated, and getting tested for COVID-19; the adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) were 1.21 (1.05-1.38), 1.19 (1.04-1.37), 1.20 (1.05-1.38), 1.32 (1.15-1.52), 1.30 (1.11-1.53), and 1.23 (1.07-1.41), respectively. Exploratory subgroup analyses demonstrated that social media users might have shown early adaptation to newly recommended preventive behaviors during the first state of emergency. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that a digital divide exists, as evidenced by the varied compliance with preventive behaviors depending on internet use. Additionally, social media use may be associated with early adaptation to newly recommended preventive behaviors. Therefore, future studies regarding the digital divide among older adults should investigate differences depending on the types and content of internet resources. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2023; 23: 289-296.

Conducting online healthcare research with open-ended questions in the age of COVID-19: A critical review

Background: Worldwide, there is a remarkable increase in Internet use, with a current penetration rate of 62%. This widespread Internet use and the global coronavirus disease (COVID-19) preventive measures provide opportunities for data collection using the Internet in healthcare research. No recent studies have been conducted regarding the methodological issues of asynchronous Internet research that employed opened-ended questions to explore providers' and patients' experiences. Purpose: This study utilizes prior research to explore methodological issues that affect online research using open-ended questions to obtain health data. Methods: The electronic databases searched were PubMed, CINAHL, and full-text Ovid. Reference lists and the Journal of Medical Internet Research were manually searched. The search strategy was based on the PRISMA flow diagram. Articles published between January 2003 and May 2020 were searched. Inclusion criteria were asynchronous online researcher-led studies that used open-ended questions to explore healthcare issues. Methodological issues were extracted from the selected studies. Results: The evidence suggests that factors such as technical/website study/survey design issues, smartphone study applications, use of reminders, incentives, overrecruiting participants, using a combination of asynchronous and synchronous methods, trustworthiness, ethical and security issues affect the quality of data obtained in online health research. Implications for Practice: Asynchronous online research methods with open-ended questions could be used to collect high-quality data from patients, healthcare providers, and other participants in self-isolation, quarantine, and in diverse locations. However, researchers should be aware of the identified methodological issues. Future research could explore methodological issues and data quality in combined asynchronous and synchronous data collection methods. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

INTERNET USAGE DURING COVID-19 AMONG MEDICAL AND DENTAL STUDENTS, PESHAWAR

The purpose of this study was to assess the usage of the internet among medical and dental students at Gandhara University during COVID-19. It was a cross-sectional study, carried out from December 2020-February 2021. The sample size was 430 students from Sardar Begum Dental College and Kabir Medical College. 2nd, 3rd and final-year students were selected. The questionnaire was designed with closed-ended questions regarding internet usage. An ethical report was obtained from Gandhara University. Data was collected and analysed through SPSS version 26.0. A total of 430 students, 247 Medical and 183 dental students participated in this study. During COVID-19 searching the internet for fun on an hourly basis, searching the internet for health information and the use of the internet on an hourly basis were significant according to our study. During COVID-19 the use of the internet has increased drastically. It was concluded that the use of the internet was in access in all the respected areas.

A Study of Relationship between Internet Usage and Emotional Maturity at Higher Secondary Level

Internet trend is growing day by day and the education system is going to be online sooner or later. In developing countries, like India, technological changes are rapidly taking place irrespective of age and gender. We have witnessed COVID 19, which brought technological adaptations in the education system. There was a clear shift of teaching-learning process from traditional to online. Technology is spreading out in 360 degree angle without which one cannot survive even. When it comes to the higher secondary education, how internet and other technologies can be utilized in an effective way? It is often observed adolescents are getting emotional when they watch online brutal advertisements. It is very difficult to balance their emotions once they are trolled or embarrassed in social networking sites. Such adolescents often isolate themselves from online or stop using social networking cites for some time. If we see the availability of internet, there are huge demographic differences. The students who have availability of internet are likely to access and visit online frequently compare to others. Thisstudy will help teachers to identify students with internet addiction and their emotional stability in class. The present study has gone in this direction in order to explore the relationship between availability of internet usage and emotional maturity in the students of higher secondary. A survey was conducted on 200 participants randomly and correlation was established. The findings were interesting and results were discussed.

Is there a Common Digital Market in the European Union? Implications for the European Digitalization Strategy

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, people has changed the way they work, learn and socialize. As result, it is important to identify the pre-existing digital gaps to implement the European Union digitalization strategy. This study aims to identify typologies of internet use in the 28 European Union (EU) countries (at the time of the survey), based on the characteristics of the users and their internet usage patterns. A two-level latent class analysis was applied. At the first level, individuals within each country were grouped according to their characteristics of internet use;and, simultaneously, at the second level, countries were grouped based on the similar structure of individual segments. Using data from Eurobarometer, results show that internet use in the EU digital market is not homogeneous. The European Commission should take these pre-existing gaps into account in the EU digitalization strategy.

Impact of internet usage on consumer impulsive buying behavior of agriculture products: Moderating role of personality traits and emotional intelligence.

E-commerce has led to a significant increase in internet purchases. The marketing sector is very competitive these days, and marketers have a difficult task: understanding the behavior of their customers. Strategic marketing planning relies heavily on consumer behavior since the consumer acts as the user, buyer, and payer in that process. Consumers' behavior changes in response to shifts in the factors that influence it. The purpose of this research is to show how Internet usage influence on consumer impulsive buying behavior of agriculture products through moderating role personality traits and emotional intelligence in China organic market. The data gathered in three months from January to March 2022, due to COVID-19 pandemic data was gathered through an online survey questionnaire sent by Chinese social media platforms including WeChat and an email address. The PLS-SEM technique and the SmartPLS software version 3.2.8 were used for data analyses. The result revealed that internet usage positively and significantly influences consumer impulsive buying behavior. Also, both moderator personality trait and emotional intelligence positively and significantly moderate the relationship between internet usage and consumer impulsive buying behavior. Lastly, theoretical and practical implications, and future directions were discussed.

E-commerce from the customer panel: The phenomenon of the pandemic increase and future challenge

Purpose – the purpose of the article is to present the customers (the auction site’s users) perception of the opportunities provided by e-commerce, especially increasing its meaning during the pandemic conditions and to conclude the ways of e-commerce development in the future. Research methodology – the methodology was based at desk research and the survey conducted in April 2021 among online users of Allegro on-line platform by the one of the basic quantity methods, the CAWI method (by the questionnaire survey) supported by statistic method. Findings – the increasing role of e-commerce in people’s lives as well as the pandemic increasing e-commerce growth effect, it can therefore be crucial for the country’s market position and its developmental perspectives. Some customers habits, especially greater savings regimes, more careful approach to spending, but also on-line shopping, will stay with them even after the pandemic. Research limitations – the research is limited to the leading, but one, on-line platform one of the TOP-10 on-line platforms however, because of the market coverage, it is representative for the examined branch. Other limitation is the pandemic period which may present the data characteristic only for this time. Practical implications – nowadays, especially developed by the pandemic and lockdown all over the world, the e-trade has spread its development. The practical implication may be using the results of the research in practice by the on-line shops owners/managers. Originality/Value – the value of the study is the realistic approach while attempting to provide a clear view of the overarching picture of the e-trade and directions of its development, especially after pandemic experience. The originality also is that the research conducted not only It has also shown that online commerce transactions are conducted not only at young people probe, but at the probe representative for whole society, including elderly people. The study fulfils the gap at e-commerce research due to the often proclaimed lack of attitude of older people towards e-commerce or pointing them as the age group’s digital exclusion. © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Vilnius Gediminas Technical University.

Digital revolution and youth: Consequences for their development and education

The digital revolution, which started in the latter quarter of the 19th century, refers to the shift from mechanical and analog electronic technology to digital technologies, which mostly use the internet. In contrast to traditional media, digital technologies include social and interactive media and allow users to consume and actively create content. Young people's lives are increasingly mediated by digital technologies used both at home and at school. The use of digital media by young people may be adaptive, but it may place their adaptation at risk. Whether media use is adaptive or maladaptive depends on a number of factors, including, among others, the developmental stage of the individual, the type of media, the type of use, the extent of use, and the characteristics of the individual using the media. The place of digital media in young people's lives has never been more prominent than during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this period, their lives were upended, and they turned to digital media for their education, entertainment, information, and social contact. Thus, the study of the effects of the digital revolution on youths' development and education has never been timelier than it is right now. This article introduces the Special Issue on youth in the digital age. It includes six reviews that focus on the affective, cognitive, and social consequences of the digital revolution for young people. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Visualizing Internet Measurements of Covid-19 Work-from-Home

The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted the world as businesses and schools shifted to work-from-home (WFH), and comprehensive maps have helped visualize how those policies changed over time and in different places. We recently developed algorithms that infer the onset of WFH based on changes in observed Internet usage. Measurements of WFH are important to evaluate how effectively policies are implemented and followed, or to confirm policies in countries with less transparent journalism. This paper describes a web-based visualization system for measurements of Covid-19-induced WFH. We build on a web-based world map, showing a geographic grid of observations about WFH. We extend typical map interaction (zoom and pan, plus animation over time) with two new forms of pop-up information that allow users to drill-down to investigate our underlying data. We use sparklines to show changes over the first 6 months of 2020 for a given location, supporting identification and navigation to hot spots. Alternatively, users can report particular networks (Internet Service Providers) that show WFH on a given day. We show that these tools help us relate our observations to news reports of Covid-19-induced changes and, in some cases, lockdowns due to other causes. Our visualization is publicly available at https://covid.ant.isi.edu, as is our underlying data. © 2021 IEEE.