Alexander J A M Van Deursen
Biographic Data
| ID | 310392 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Alexander J A M Van Deursen |
| GIVEN NAMES | Alexander J A M |
| FAMILY NAME | Van Deursen |
| SIGNATURE | VAN DEURSEN A J A M |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Twente |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-0225-2637 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 48 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 579 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 48 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2009 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 10 |
Cocreating support: Toward a digital inclusion intervention for parents in poverty
As digital inclusion support is not one-size-fits-all, one should consider the implementation context and include stakeholder perspectives. Using cocreation, a digital inclusion intervention is designed for Dutch parents in poverty. An integral intervention approach is taken, considering barriers in all internet appropriation phases (attitude & motivation, material access, skills, and usage). This study holds two phases: a cocreation workshop and…
Digital inequalities after Covid-19: A longitudinal analysis of internet attitude, device diversity, internet skills, and internet activities among the Dutch adult population 2020-2023
The 2020 lockdowns increased internet use, raising questions about how digital inequalities have evolved. In this study we examined changes in internet access between 2020 (during lockdowns) and 2023 (post-pandemic), focusing on shifts across sociodemographic variables (gender and age) as well as personal (health), economic (employment and income), social (offline social support and internet support quality), and cultural (education) capitals. An…
Developing Performance Tests to Measure Digital Skills: Lessons Learned From a Cross-National Perspective
This article discusses the development of task-based performance tests designed to measure digital skills among children aged between 12 and 17 years old. The tasks reflect authentic everyday situations to evaluate skill levels. The primary objective is to design performance tests that provide a comprehensive understanding of children’s digital skills. The tests cover three distinct skill dimensions: (a) information navigation and processing; (b)…
Internet skills, digital engagement, and outcomes among urban youth in Jakarta, Indonesia: Incorporating a Global South context in measuring digital inequality
This article examines internet skills, digital engagement, and digital outcomes among urban youth in Jakarta, Indonesia, thereby addressing the underexplored issue of digital inequality in the Global South. We tested and modified digital inequality scales initially developed in the Global North through cognitive interviews and confirmatory factor analyses. The internet skills scale exhibited a reasonable model fit. The modified digital engagement…
The role of social work in digital inclusion: A systematic literature review
In promoting equal digital inclusion, formal support is a main contributor. One of the most accessible formal support structures available are community centres and social workers. Yet, it is unclear how formal digital inclusion support is or can be offered by social workers. The aim of this research is to survey the existing studies on how social workers support digital inclusion. We conducted a systematic review following the PRISMA protocol. A…
Internet appropriation barriers in the lives of Dutch parents living in poverty: A qualitative study
As poverty and digital exclusion go hand in hand, knowing what hinders parents in poverty from profiting from internet opportunities is crucial. This study identifies barriers in the four internet appropriation phases – attitude and motivation, material access, skills, usage – and their connections with life domains – economic, social, cultural, personal. We conducted 18 semi-structured interviews with Dutch parents in poverty. The findings highl…
Exploring Barriers to and Outcomes of Internet Appropriation Among Households Living in Poverty: A Systematic Literature Review
While poverty can be regarded as an issue with many different causes and dimensions, research indicates that enhancing digital inclusion may positively contribute to alleviating poverty. Therefore, it is of great importance to better understand the factors that may hinder internet appropriation for households facing poverty. However, no clear overview exists of the barriers to and outcomes of internet appropriation for this exact target audience.…
The irony of the smart home: How the IoT shifts power balances and reinforces household values
We consider inequalities within households to be an important step for increasing our understanding of digital inequalities perpetuated by smart homes. We argue that the key to understanding the use of the Internet of Things is household choreographies rather than individual practices. We specifically address different power relations between household members in regard to their use of IoT devices. Using interview data collected through five visi…
Developing policy aimed at 21st-century digital skills for the creative industries: An interview study with founders and managing directors
The creative industry is a sector where digitisation inevitably changes work practices and the skill requirements are high. The rapid digitisation makes it imperative for workers to acquire digital skills beyond mere technical use. The aim of this study is twofold: (1) to offer a deeper analysis of the nature and level of 21st-century digital skills and (2) to explore the roles of both individual workers and organisations in skill development. In…
Psychological, cultural and socio-structural factors associated with digital immersion in Chilean adolescents
Nowadays, adolescents grow up in environments where many aspects of their lives are mediated by digital technologies. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of psychological, cultural and socio-structural factors in the level of digital immersion in adolescents from southern Chile. A non-probabilistic sample of 469 adolescents was collected from schools with different socioeconomic backgrounds. A multigroup analysis was performed usin…
Development and validation of the Internet of Things Skills Scale (IoTSS)
The Internet of Things (IoT) is expected to have a massive impact on people’s lives. However, the system’s complexity is also likely to make it an important topic of investigation in digital inequality research. Those who have the skills to use the IoT to its full potential and gain maximal benefits have a technology at hand that will have the power to increase their (already privileged) positions. Prerequisites for and impacts of user (consumer)…
The orchestrated digital inequalities of the IoT: How vendor lock-in hinders and playfulness creates IoT benefits in every life
As the Internet of Things (IoT) is becoming the next frontier for the digital divide, we argue that access to most of the IoT and its benefits are hindered by vendor lock-in. Yet, people with an advanced set of operational skills can find creative ways to overcome vendor lock-in. In this article, we study socio-contextual dispositions to why some people are better able to capitalize on IoT benefits creatively than others. We use interview data an…
The lights are on, but no one’s home: A performance test to measure digital skills to use IoT home automation
As the Internet of Things (IoT) is making its entrance in people’s homes, differences in the skills to operate smart home devices need to be considered. This study examined (1) the levels of digital skills to use IoT home automation among Dutch adult citizens and (2) differences of these skills over gender, age, and education. Therefore, a performance test with actual real-life tasks was conducted among a representative sample ( N = 99) of the Du…
Digital inequalities in the Internet of Things: Differences in attitudes, material access, skills, and usage
The Internet of Things (IoT) is more complex and abstract than previous information and communication technologies as there are many connections occurring. New challenges for users arise from increased amount of data, decisions made automatically, less visibility and more ambiguity, and magnified security and privacy risks. There is a fair chance that only a selective group will benefit, making it important to study IoT from a digital inequality …
A Systematic Literature Review of Organizational Factors Influencing 21st-Century Skills
Skills, such as critical thinking, creativity, communication, problem solving, collaboration, operational skills, and information management, have become increasingly important for 21st-century employees. These skills are often referred to as 21st-century skills and influence how employees handle novel situations. They are indispensable in an economy where the knowledge and skills of employees are seen as a measure for economic potential. This sy…
IQ and digital inequality: An empirical investigation
Cognitive intelligence is rarely discussed in the context of digital inequality for practical and normative reasons: substantial difficulties around measurements and the fact that it cannot (easily) be changed. In the current contribution, cognitive intelligence is studied in relation to resources and appropriation theory which explains digital inequality as a process of four successive phases of Internet access: motivational, material, skills, a…
Measuring internet skills in a general population: A large-scale validation of the short Internet Skills Scale in Slovenia
This study assessed the construct and criterion validity of the short version of the Internet Skills Scale and examined whether its four dimensions–Operational, Information Navigation, Social, and Creative skills–are influenced by a higher-order dimension of general internet skills as one second-order factor. In 2018, a face-to-face survey comprising of the 20-item Internet Skills Scale and 22 other items related to digital inclusion was conducte…
Digital Inequality During a Pandemic: Quantitative Study of Differences in Covid-19–Related Internet Uses and Outcomes Among the General Population
BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization considers coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to be a public emergency threatening global health. During the crisis, the public's need for web-based information and communication is a subject of focus. Digital inequality research has shown that internet access is not evenly distributed among the general population. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to provide a timely understanding of how different people u…
Determinants of 21st-Century Skills and 21st-Century Digital Skills for Workers: A Systematic Literature Review
This study brings attention to the determinants of 21st-century skills and 21st-century digital skills. The following skills are investigated: technical, information, communication, collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills. To understand differences in the level of these skills among workers, we need to know the factors that determine an individual’s skill level. A systematic literature review was conducted to prov…
How to apply IoT skills at home: Inequalities in cultural repertoires and its interdependency chains
Taking advantage of the Internet: A qualitative analysis to explain why educational background is decisive in gaining positive outcomes
Measuring the levels of 21st-century digital skills among professionals working within the creative industries: A performance-based approach
Twenty-first century digital skills for the creative industries workforce: Perspectives from industry experts
The creative industries workforce requires employees that use ICT applications to solve the knowledge related tasks at work. The aim of this research is twofold: (1) to see if previously cited twenty-first century digital skills are suited to the creative industries workforce and (2) to investigate the extent to which skill development get attention in current organizational practices. In-depth interviews were conducted with a sample of 24 manage…
Internet use in the home: Digital inequality from a domestication perspective
This study uses a domestication approach to digital inequality. The aim is to uncover whether and why less-educated families benefit less from Internet use than highly educated families. The predominantly quantitative approach of digital divide research provides little explanation as to why digital inequalities exist. Interviews were conducted with the heads of 48 Dutch families. The results showed that Internet use and routines in the home are s…
Inequalities in the social use of the Internet of things: A capital and skills perspective
In this article, we set out to explain different types of social uses of the Internet of Things (IoT) using forms of capital and Internet skills. We argue that the IoT platform entices different manners of social communication that are easily overlooked when focusing on the novelty of smart “things.” How people use the IoT socially is crucial in trying to understand how people create, maintain, or absolve social relations in a networked society. …
The digital divide shifts to differences in usage
In a representative survey of the Dutch population we found that people with low levels of education and disabled people are using the Internet for more hours a day in their spare time than higher educated and employed populations. To explain this finding, we investigated what these people are doing online. The first contribution is a theoretically validated cluster of Internet usage types: information, news, personal development, social interact…
The first-level digital divide shifts from inequalities in physical access to inequalities in material access
For a long time, a common opinion among policy-makers was that the digital divide problem would be solved when a country's Internet connection rate reaches saturation. However, scholars of the second-level digital divide have concluded that the divides in Internet skills and type of use continue to expand even after physical access is universal. This study-based on an online survey among a representative sample of the Dutch population-indicates t…
Internet skills and the digital divide
Because of the growing amount of information on the internet and people’s increasing dependence on information, internet skills should be considered as a vital resource in contemporary society. This article focuses on the differential possession of internet skills among the Dutch population. In two studies, an in-depth range of internet skills are measured by charging subjects assignments to be accomplished on the internet. Subjects were recruite…
Rethinking Internet skills: The contribution of gender, age, education, Internet experience, and hours online to medium- and content-related Internet skills
Improving digital skills for the use of online public information and services
Collateral benefits of Internet use: Explaining the diverse outcomes of engaging with the Internet
This article examines the extent to which economic, cultural, social, and personal types of engagement with the Internet result in a variety of economic, cultural, social, and personal outcomes. Data from a representative survey of the Dutch population are analyzed to test whether engagement with a certain type of activity is related to "collateral" benefits in different domains of activities, independent from the socioeconomic or sociocultural c…
A nuanced understanding of Internet use and non-use among the elderly
This article examines explanations for both Internet use and non-use by older individuals. Older adults are often considered a homogeneous group with uniform reasons for Internet non-use, or when they are online, practising a uniform range of activities. The study gathered data concerning senior non-users through a national telephone survey. Data concerning senior Internet users were obtained through a nationally representative online survey. The…
Toward a Multifaceted Model of Internet Access for Understanding Digital Divides: An Empirical Investigation
In this investigation, a multifaceted model of Internet appropriation that encompasses four types of access—motivational, material, skills, and usage—is tested with a representative sample of the Dutch population. The analysis indicates that while the digital divide policies' focus has moved to skills and usage access, motivational and material access remain relevant since they are necessary through the entire process of Internet appropriation. M…
Impact of the digital divide on e-government: Expanding from channel choice to channel usage
Many scholars have studied the digital divide, however, often apart from eGovernment research. Therefore, more interdisciplinary research is required as eGovernment can be both hindered by and contribute to the digital divide. First research steps have already been taken, for instance by using access and socioeconomic status as representations for the digital divide. However, the digital divide discipline has developed rapidly and contemporary re…
Internet use in the home: Digital inequality from a domestication perspective
This study uses a domestication approach to digital inequality. The aim is to uncover whether and why less-educated families benefit less from Internet use than highly educated families. The predominantly quantitative approach of digital divide research provides little explanation as to why digital inequalities exist. Interviews were conducted with the heads of 48 Dutch families. The results showed that Internet use and routines in the home are s…
Taking advantage of the Internet: A qualitative analysis to explain why educational background is decisive in gaining positive outcomes
Measuring the levels of 21st-century digital skills among professionals working within the creative industries: A performance-based approach
Inequalities in the social use of the Internet of things: A capital and skills perspective
In this article, we set out to explain different types of social uses of the Internet of Things (IoT) using forms of capital and Internet skills. We argue that the IoT platform entices different manners of social communication that are easily overlooked when focusing on the novelty of smart “things.” How people use the IoT socially is crucial in trying to understand how people create, maintain, or absolve social relations in a networked society. …
How to apply IoT skills at home: Inequalities in cultural repertoires and its interdependency chains
The irony of the smart home: How the IoT shifts power balances and reinforces household values
We consider inequalities within households to be an important step for increasing our understanding of digital inequalities perpetuated by smart homes. We argue that the key to understanding the use of the Internet of Things is household choreographies rather than individual practices. We specifically address different power relations between household members in regard to their use of IoT devices. Using interview data collected through five visi…
The development and validation of testing materials for literacy, numeracy and digital skills in a Dutch context
Measuring internet skills in a general population: A large-scale validation of the short Internet Skills Scale in Slovenia
This study assessed the construct and criterion validity of the short version of the Internet Skills Scale and examined whether its four dimensions–Operational, Information Navigation, Social, and Creative skills–are influenced by a higher-order dimension of general internet skills as one second-order factor. In 2018, a face-to-face survey comprising of the 20-item Internet Skills Scale and 22 other items related to digital inclusion was conducte…
Negative outcomes of Internet use: A qualitative analysis in the homes of families with different educational backgrounds
This study employs a qualitative approach to examine whether and why some societal groups are disadvantaged more by their Internet use than others do. Due to the quantitative nature of most digital divide studies, thorough explanations for why different outcomes exist are lacking. Interviews were conducted with 48 Dutch families selected on the basis of educational level (high or low) and household characteristics (children and marital status). A…
Improving digital skills for the use of online public information and services
Measuring Internet Skills
Research that considers Internet skills often lacks theoretical justifications and does not go beyond basic button knowledge. There is a strong need for a measurement framework that can guide future research. In this article, operational definitions for measuring Internet skills are proposed, applied in two large-scale performance tests, and tested for reliability and validity. The framework consists of four Internet skills: operational, formal, …
Internet skills and the digital divide
Because of the growing amount of information on the internet and people’s increasing dependence on information, internet skills should be considered as a vital resource in contemporary society. This article focuses on the differential possession of internet skills among the Dutch population. In two studies, an in-depth range of internet skills are measured by charging subjects assignments to be accomplished on the internet. Subjects were recruite…
Rethinking Internet skills: The contribution of gender, age, education, Internet experience, and hours online to medium- and content-related Internet skills
The digital divide shifts to differences in usage
In a representative survey of the Dutch population we found that people with low levels of education and disabled people are using the Internet for more hours a day in their spare time than higher educated and employed populations. To explain this finding, we investigated what these people are doing online. The first contribution is a theoretically validated cluster of Internet usage types: information, news, personal development, social interact…
Internet Skills, Sources of Support, and Benefiting From Internet Use
This study added communication Internet skills to an existing skill framework of operational, formal, information, and strategic skills. The study investigated how people deal with inadequate skill levels by identifying support sources. Furthermore, we investigated which of the Internet skills actually matter for attaining beneficial Internet outcomes and whether support sources employed moderate these effects. Results of a large-scale survey rev…
New Media and the Digital Divide
The Third-Level Digital Divide: Who Benefits Most from Being Online?
Increasing inequalities in what we do online: A longitudinal cross sectional analysis of Internet activities among the Dutch population (2010 to 2013) over gender, age, education, and income
Internet skill levels increase, but gaps widen: A longitudinal cross-sectional analysis (2010–2013) among the Dutch population
In the current contribution, we investigated how (1) the levels of operational, formal, information, and strategic internet skills changed between 2010 and 2013, and how (2) the observed skill patterns differ across gender, age, and education. All internet skills are measured among representative samples of the Dutch population in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013. Cross-sectional data are repeated to consider patterns of change at the aggregate level. …
Modeling habitual and addictive smartphone behavior
A nuanced understanding of Internet use and non-use among the elderly
This article examines explanations for both Internet use and non-use by older individuals. Older adults are often considered a homogeneous group with uniform reasons for Internet non-use, or when they are online, practising a uniform range of activities. The study gathered data concerning senior non-users through a national telephone survey. Data concerning senior Internet users were obtained through a nationally representative online survey. The…
Toward a Multifaceted Model of Internet Access for Understanding Digital Divides: An Empirical Investigation
In this investigation, a multifaceted model of Internet appropriation that encompasses four types of access—motivational, material, skills, and usage—is tested with a representative sample of the Dutch population. The analysis indicates that while the digital divide policies' focus has moved to skills and usage access, motivational and material access remain relevant since they are necessary through the entire process of Internet appropriation. M…
The development and validation of testing materials for literacy, numeracy and digital skills in a Dutch context
Development and validation of the Internet Skills Scale (ISS)
Although a number of instruments have been used to measure Internet skills in nationally representative surveys, there are several challenges with the measures available: incompleteness and over-simplification, conceptual ambiguity, and the use of self-reports. Here, we aim to overcome these challenges by developing a set of reliable measures for use in research, practice, and policy evaluations based on a strong conceptual framework. To achieve …
Impact of the digital divide on e-government: Expanding from channel choice to channel usage
Many scholars have studied the digital divide, however, often apart from eGovernment research. Therefore, more interdisciplinary research is required as eGovernment can be both hindered by and contribute to the digital divide. First research steps have already been taken, for instance by using access and socioeconomic status as representations for the digital divide. However, the digital divide discipline has developed rapidly and contemporary re…
The relation between 21st-century skills and digital skills: A systematic literature review
Do the rich get digitally richer? Quantity and quality of support for digital engagement
This paper asks what predicts having access to and using social support networks that might help an individual in using the Internet. Following the course taking by digital divide or digital inclusion research, this paper uses socio-cultural, socio-economic, social, and digital indicators to predict access to and the type of potential and actual social support networks that might help an individual in using the Internet. In addition, the paper ex…
Collateral benefits of Internet use: Explaining the diverse outcomes of engaging with the Internet
This article examines the extent to which economic, cultural, social, and personal types of engagement with the Internet result in a variety of economic, cultural, social, and personal outcomes. Data from a representative survey of the Dutch population are analyzed to test whether engagement with a certain type of activity is related to "collateral" benefits in different domains of activities, independent from the socioeconomic or sociocultural c…
Strategies and cues adolescents use to assess the age of an online stranger
A common risk among adolescents is sexual solicitation, in which an adolescent is asked to provide sexual information, engage in sexual talk, or in sexual activities. Although scholars increasingly address this topic from an intrapersonal perspective, there is little attention to factors of language use and message content. In two focus group studies, we investigated whether adolescent girls consider themselves capable of assessing whether an onl…
First- and second-level digital divides in Cuba: Differences in Internet motivation, access, skills and usage
The digital divide is an important academic concern. Whereas the first generation of studies focused only on physical and material Internet access, more recent research has considered the importance of skills and usage gaps. This study seeks to bring to light meaningful insights into first and second levels of the digital divide in the special case of Cuba, which is characterized by a very restricted media environment. Results reveal that in an a…
The first-level digital divide shifts from inequalities in physical access to inequalities in material access
For a long time, a common opinion among policy-makers was that the digital divide problem would be solved when a country's Internet connection rate reaches saturation. However, scholars of the second-level digital divide have concluded that the divides in Internet skills and type of use continue to expand even after physical access is universal. This study-based on an online survey among a representative sample of the Dutch population-indicates t…
Twenty-first century digital skills for the creative industries workforce: Perspectives from industry experts
The creative industries workforce requires employees that use ICT applications to solve the knowledge related tasks at work. The aim of this research is twofold: (1) to see if previously cited twenty-first century digital skills are suited to the creative industries workforce and (2) to investigate the extent to which skill development get attention in current organizational practices. In-depth interviews were conducted with a sample of 24 manage…
Internet use in the home: Digital inequality from a domestication perspective
This study uses a domestication approach to digital inequality. The aim is to uncover whether and why less-educated families benefit less from Internet use than highly educated families. The predominantly quantitative approach of digital divide research provides little explanation as to why digital inequalities exist. Interviews were conducted with the heads of 48 Dutch families. The results showed that Internet use and routines in the home are s…
Inequalities in the social use of the Internet of things: A capital and skills perspective
In this article, we set out to explain different types of social uses of the Internet of Things (IoT) using forms of capital and Internet skills. We argue that the IoT platform entices different manners of social communication that are easily overlooked when focusing on the novelty of smart “things.” How people use the IoT socially is crucial in trying to understand how people create, maintain, or absolve social relations in a networked society. …
Computer Science (41 works) · The Internet (31 works) · World Wide Web (29 works) · Psychology (28 works) · Social Media and Politics (26 works) · Sociology (23 works) · Impact of Technology on Adolescents (22 works) · Internet privacy (19 works) · Political science (19 works) · Digital divide (18 works)