Pattern of smartphone internet use among international students in a university in Bangkok, Thailand
Keywords:
Internet use, Smartphones, International studentsAbstract
Purpose - Forty-five percent of the world population used the Internet in 2016. Sixty percent of the Thai population uses the Internet. University students predominately contribute to the high usage trend. The study aimed to determine the pattern of smartphone Internet use among international students in a university in Bangkok, Thailand.
Design/methodology/approach - A cross-sectional study was carried among 351 international students aged 18 to 54 through a self-administered online questionnaire developed by the researcher. Validity and reliability of questionnaire were checked and deemed acceptable for use (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.89; average IOC = 0.96). Regarding Internet usage pattern, this study examined the following: Internet-related activities, the situation of use, place of most access, frequency, and amount of time spent. Purposive sampling was employed. Descriptive statistics and a chi-square test were used in data assessment.
Findings - More than 90% of males reported engaging in social networking and information seeking. More than 90% of females reported to engage in social networking, information seeking, and text messaging. Online shopping was found to be significantly associated with gender (p = .001). Roughly 70% of males used their smartphones when doing homework; more than 50% of females used their smartphones while eating. More than 70% of males and females said to mostly accessed the Internet through their smartphones at home. Over 70% of males and females go on the Internet more than five times per day. Nearly 30% of males spent three to four hours on the Internet during the weekends; while one-third of females spent seven hours or more during the weekends. More than one-third of males and females spent three to four hours during the weekdays.
Originality/value - Results revealed subtle differences between male and female Internet usage pattern. Females spent more time on the Internet through the smartphone than males. However, there were no significant differences in Internet usage pattern between males and females except online shopping.
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