General perceptions and self-reported uses of the internet and social media among Dominican students in different socioeconomic contexts

Abstract

This study analyses self-reported uses of the Internet and social media (ISM), students’ perceptions of to what extent ISM contributes to expanding basic human capabilities, and the relationship between these uses and perceptions, taking socioeconomic factors into account. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted with 1074 secondary-school students from five schools located in disadvantaged and middle-high socioeconomic contexts in the Dominican Republic. ISM uses and perceptions were compared between socioeconomic groups, and their association was estimated using Spearman correlation coefficients. Statistically significant differences between disadvantaged and better-off students were found in many self-reported uses and perceptions of the contribution of ISM to expanding basic human capabilities. The correlation between perceptions and uses was positive and statistically significant for most items, but small in magnitude (Rho below 0.30) in both socioeconomic groups, with the exception of uses related to play. Although perceptions and uses are broadly aligned, the strength of this alignment is limited, and thus further educational work is needed to connect them and to harness the developmental potential of ISM. The study provides context-specific evidence to guide digital education programmes and policies aimed at bridging the digital divide, and its conclusions refer to the schools and socioeconomic contexts sampled rather than to the Dominican student population as a whole.