JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

If there are people who do not want to use the Internet despite having the circumstances and conditions for using it, another policy consideration will be needed.

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to explore the factors related to the behavior of people who do not voluntarily use the Internet.

Methods:

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2018. It used a proportional quota random sampling design to select a representative sample of Koreans; accordingly, 6150 participants were included in the study. Multiple logistic regression methods were used to explore the predicting factors of the act of voluntarily not using the Internet.

Results:

Age, education level, bonding and bridging social capitals, and daily life satisfaction for health status were found as significant factors related to the behavior of not voluntarily using the Internet. However, gender, household income, occupation, family size, and community type were not related to voluntary non-use of the Internet.

Conclusions:

It was found that sociodemographic factors such as age and education level—which are difficult to modify—along with psychosocial factors located deeper than the visible living conditions—such as social capital or life satisfaction—are involved in voluntary Internet non-use. These results also suggest that policies related to information and communications technology (ICT) are not desirable to proceed on a separate track, but rather that they should be comprehensively approached with other social policies that design various social interventions in order to enhance equity within society.