Usage and Perceptions of the Internet: What Has Age Got to Do With It?

Abstract

There has been much publicity about the Internet around the world. However, much of the extant research on the Internet has been carried out in Europe and America. There is a dearth of published studies on the Internet in the Asian context. This study examines the differential effects of age on usage and perceptions of the Internet in an Asian country, namely Singapore. Data were collected via a questionnaire survey placed on the World Wide Web. One thousand three hundred sixty-nine usable responses were received. These responses were divided into groups according to the age of respondents and analyzed using ANOVA. Results showed that age has some effects on usage patterns, perceived usefulness, activities performed, and factors affecting an enjoyable Internet experience. Implications of the results are discussed.