Dimensions of Digital Inequality Based on Pisa 2015 Data for Hungary

In the past ten years, use of ICT tools has become an integral part of everyday life among young people. Using these tools is second nature to these digital natives. It represents an organic part of their socialization. They make use of the Internet in countless areas and enjoy its benefits, just as they suffer the consequences of an online presence. ICT use among young people and its attendant effects on them can be studied in a number of areas. This study investigates features of dimensions of digital inequality developed by DiMaggio and Hargittai in the Hungarian subsample of the PISA2015 international student assessment, which includes students’ ICT use. The paper thus focuses on available ICT equipment, which is a particular aspect of autonomous use, knowledge of ICT use, social support for ICT use and patterns of purpose of use among 15-year-old students. The study first reviews the literature and research on modes of ICT use and digital inequality. It then outlines the data and methodology used in an analysis and provides a detailed report on the distribution of variables which can be interpreted as dimensions of digital inequality in the PISA survey.

The author examined the five dimensions of digital inequalities developed by DiMaggio and Hargittai on the sample of 15 years old Hungarian students collected in the framework of the 2015 PISA study. According to the findings almost every student has some access to the Internet at home and most of them also own a smart phone. Most students spend considerably high amount of time both on weekdays and weekend and mainly from a intrinsic motivation. Also most of them evaluated their own ICT use knowledge as good. By the data four distinct usage types could be differentiated: usage what mainly concerns communication and entertainment, usage what focuses on playing games and usage primarily concern information gathering. Also, using the internet for learning and school related tasks and activities also can be regarded as a distinct type. 'It was concluded from a deeper analysis of time spent on the Internet that this factor is influenced by intrinsic motivation rather than by external circumstances, e.g. the portability of the device. Presumably, parental control also plays an important role in limiting time spent on the Internet; however, the PISA data offer no option to analyse this factor. The 15-year-old Hungarian students mostly evaluated their ICT knowledge and competences as good, thus clearly suggesting that they are digital natives. In the dimension of social support, this kind of embeddedness of ICT use in social support was found among a bit over half of the respondents. Finally, the pattern of modes of Internet use was examined. As regards general Internet use, three user modes became clear: one involves using the Internet primarily for communication and entertainment; another concentrates on playing games; and a third is aimed mainly at gathering information. Based on the responses, as regards Internet use tied to studying and completing school assignments, there is a distinct mode of use aimed primarily at doing schoolwork and one that is rather facilitative of one’s studies.' (Anikó Vincze: Dimensions of Digital Inequality Based on Pisa 2015 Data for Hungary, Belvedere Meridionale, 31/2, 2019, pp: 163-177, p: 176)