Internet Usage Pattern among Students and Working Groups: A Comparative Analysis between Rural and Urban Areas in Malaysia
Santhi Govindan, Siti Aishah Hussin · International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences · 2024
The internet has fundamentally changed our social lives, from how society communicates, facts are sought and practised, financial transactions are made, and governmental, private, and educational activities are conducted.However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the internet became indispensable by enforcing the Movement Control Order (MCO).Hence, this research aims to explore the internet usage pattern among students and working groups in Malaysia, specifically comparing urban and rural areas.The research data were collected using offline and online survey questionnaires to reach the targeted samples.The findings explain that communities in rural areas need to gain knowledge of information technology, especially primary school students.This research provides further understanding of students' and working groups' internet usage patterns from various levels.In addition, there are significant differences in the patterns between urban and rural areas.Interestingly, the findings indicate an inadequacy of internet accessibility in urban areas.In addition, the continuity of new norms in the post-pandemic may produce different outcomes in internet usage patterns in urban and rural areas.Therefore, this research contributes to understanding the digital divide among students' and working groups, both in urban and rural areas.Hence, these research findings could provide policymakers greater insight into long-term planning for digital inclusion in Malaysia.