The influence of adolescents' gender and age on internet usehabits during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The research aims to determine the extent to which the gender and age of adolescents have influenced their habits when using the Internet, as well as the purpose for which the Internet is used the most. For the needs of the research, a questionnaire "Internet use habits" was designed, which consists of two dimensions. The first dimension looks at the Intensity of Internet Use, and the second looks at the Purpose of Internet Use, through nine items: Entertainment, Social Networks, Games, Trivia, Tutorials, School, Forums, Adults, Blog, and Blogging. The sample in the research was designed to include students in grades 5-8 of primary school and secondary school students, aged 11 to 18. Respondents were selected using a random sampling technique (N = 744). The results showed that gender did not affect the formation of Internet use habits, as opposed to age, which significantly influenced the formation of these habits. The research also highlighted that the Internet was mostly used for fun, but also that the interest in educational content on the Internet had increased. The pedagogical implications are aimed at forming a relationship between professors and students based on students' attitudes toward Internet content. Since the Internet is something that adolescents use on a daily basis, it should be used as a tool in working with them.