The impact of social media on the level of digital competences of Polish Internet users

Abstract

The article presents a discussion of surveys aimed at confirming the hypothesis that the use of social media has a negative impact on the level of digital skills. Based on preliminary observations, the authors concluded that social media are dedicated to work on mobile hardware platforms, and the frequent use of specific software associated with them may adversely affect basic digital skills.
Although easy to use, social platforms contain configuration functions which are usually not easily accessible. The research used the British Basic Digital Skills model, which, in the authors’ opinion, is more suitable for self-assessment by respondents than more complex models such as the DigComp Framework.
As a result of the conducted statistical tests, a positive, strong correlation was found between the daily time that users spend on social media, the frequency of their use, and the level of digital competences. There is also a positive but weaker correlation between the age of respondents and the level of digital competences. The results made it possible to refute the hypothesis and to formulate a new, opposite one, that the intensity of using social media has a positive effect on digital competences. Its confirmation, however, requires additional, wider research that would take into account the level of education and contact with IT technology at work.