Page 271 - Kaleidoscope Academic Conference Proceedings 2024

MODELING INTERNET USE IN THE GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT CONTEXT:
PRELIMINARY FINDINGS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS

Katelyn Lynch 1

1 Arizona State University

recipients of technological innovation and directs attention
ABSTRACT to the enabling factors within the technology [5]. This
approach shifts the focus from mere availability of ICT to
This investigation leverages Amartya Sen's capability evaluating how it enhances people’s ability to expand the
approach to assess the determinants of internet use across freedoms they value.
diverse global contexts, focusing on equality, education,
economics, health, and governance. Utilizing data from 104 This study identifies ten markers of choice across five
countries, the study employs both simple and multiple categories—equality, education, economics, health, and
regression analyses to pinpoint which factors most strongly governance—to determine which factors most effectively
influence internet access. Findings indicate that explain variations in internet use globally. Simple and
educational factors, particularly mean years of schooling, multiple regression analyses were conducted to determine
are more predictive of internet use than economic variables. which markers of choice most effectively explain variations
The results support a holistic view of development, where in internet use worldwide. The findings indicate that
enhancing educational opportunities and infrastructure, markers of choice related to education are more effective in
rather than merely reducing costs, could significantly explaining global variations in internet use than those
increase internet accessibility and use. The study advances related to economics. This suggests that enhancing
the discourse in ICT4D by demonstrating the potential of a educational opportunities and infrastructure, rather than
capabilities-focused approach to technology adoption. merely reducing costs, could significantly increase internet
accessibility and use.
Keywords – internet use, capability approach, education,
global development, ICT4D The paper is structured as follows: Section 2 reviews
relevant literature, highlighting gaps this study addresses.
1. INTRODUCTION Section 3 outlines the research questions. Section 4 details
the data selection process, while Section 5 describes the
Despite significant efforts to expand broadband internet methods used. Section 6 presents the results, followed by a
access, universal and affordable access remains a challenge discussion in Section 7. Finally, the paper concludes with
worldwide, with an estimated 2.6 billion people still offline suggestions for future research in Section 8.
[1]. Internet access serves to bolster freedoms such as
access to information, education, formal and informal 2. LITERATURE REVIEW
economies, healthcare, civic engagement, social
connection, entertainment, and more [2]. While economic 2.1 ICT4D
barriers to access have been extensively studied, less
emphasis has been placed on other factors that influence Information and communication technologies for
individuals' choices about whether and how to utilize access development (ICT4D), is a relatively new and loosely
to expand their capabilities and freedoms according to their defined field of the use of information and communication
own values. technologies (ICT) to advance development. It
encompasses both the incorporation of ICT into
This paper addresses this gap by leveraging Amartya Sen's development projects and efforts to expand access to ICT in
capability approach, as proposed in Development as specific geographical locations [6].
Freedom [3] and further developed by Martha Nussbaum
[4], to assess the determinants of internet use across diverse However, many critiques of ICT4D have been raised, often
global contexts. The capability approach is uniquely suited surrounding the difficulties in measuring outcomes in
to understanding the problem of uneven internet access ICT-based projects and questioning the value of their
worldwide. It disallows regarding internet users as passive incorporation into projects in the first place [7]. Some

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