Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 MSc., Department of Information Science and Knowledge Studies, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran.
2 Associate Professor, Department of Information Science and Knowledge Studies, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran.
3 Associate Professor, Department of Sociology. Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran.
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Today, the Internet has a vibrant presence in people's lives, but with the advent of the Internet, there have been widespread concerns about protecting personal information and making users enjoy the benefits of the Internet, requiring the knowledge and ability to apply the necessary privacy-friendly solutions. Online privacy literacy as a knowledge to protect personal information is an essential literacy for living in the digital age that provides awareness of issues related to online privacy such as awareness of threats and dangers of online privacy as well as awareness of solutions Necessary to control online privacy, it helps users to protect their information. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effective factors (Internet skills, online privacy self-efficacy, online surveillance awareness, online privacy concerns and online privacy risks) on online privacy literacy of Razi University students.
Methodology: The present study is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive and survey method. The statistical population of this study includes all students of Razi University (11268 people) in the academic year of 99-98. The sample size was 372 using Morgan's table and was determined by stratified random sampling. The researcher-made questionnaire (Internet Skills, Online Privacy Self-efficacy, Awareness of Online Monitoring, Concerns of Online Privacy and Awareness of Online Privacy Risks), Also, a researcher-made questionnaire made of online privacy literacy was used, which has 4 components (knowledge of the performance of online service providers, knowledge of technical aspects of online privacy, knowledge of information protection laws and awareness of necessary strategies for individual control). The validity of the questionnaires was confirmed by experts and Cronbach's alpha coefficient for Internet skills (0.816), online privacy efficiency (0.763), online monitoring awareness (0.810), online privacy concerns (0. 880) and awareness of the dangers of online privacy (0.856), online privacy literacy (0.873) was obtained, which indicates the validity of the questionnaires used. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were used to analyze the findings using the version 24 software.
Findings: The results show that the average variable of online privacy literacy is equal to 2.60 (from the average value of 3). Among the dimensions of online privacy literacy, the highest average of 3.5 (from the average value of 3) is related to the dimension of social skills and the lowest average of 2.21 (from the average value of 3) is related to the dimension of knowledge of information protection laws. In addition, the average concern about online privacy (3.38) and awareness of online monitoring (3.22) is higher than the average of 3 and the average Internet skills (2.80), online privacy efficiency (2.83) and awareness of risks online privacy (2.85) is lower than the average value of three. Based on data analysis, Internet skills with an impact factor of 0.57, online privacy efficiency with an impact factor of 0.56, awareness of online monitoring with an impact factor of 0.39, awareness of the dangers of online privacy with an impact factor of 53 / and concern Online privacy with an impact factor of 0.12 is effective on the overall scale of online privacy literacy.
Discussion: Given the growing concern about online privacy violations, the importance of increasing literacy to protect the privacy of individuals on the Internet is increasing. Online privacy literacy is one of the key factors that can prevent online privacy violations. Individuals who are concerned about their privacy and who wish to protect their personal information are effectively protected by their privacy by utilizing knowledge about privacy controls, relevant laws, technical aspects as well as the practices of online service providers. Various factors affect the level of online privacy literacy that can overshadow people's ability and motivation to increase that literacy. Various factors affect the level of online privacy literacy that can overshadow people's ability and motivation to increase that literacy. Given the effectiveness of factors (Internet skills, online privacy self-efficacy, awareness of online surveillance, awareness of the dangers of online privacy and concerns about online privacy) on increasing, the privacy of online privacy in order to protect privacy on the Internet, Training and necessary measures should be taken to pay attention to and promote these factors. Therefore, the results of this study can be effective in improving the educational programs of universities and schools, libraries, cultural institutions, government agencies, media and other centers that can play a role in this, as well as the public, and lay the groundwork for planning. Public awareness of the role of the factors of this research in increasing privacy literacy should be online.
Keywords
- Online Privacy Literacy
- Internet Skills
- Online Privacy Effectiveness
- Awareness of Online Monitoring
- Awareness of the Dangers of Online Privacy
Main Subjects