Vol. 12, Issue 3, 2024

The Impact of Digital Literacy on Poverty Alleviation: A Psychosocial Perspective

Olowe Nihinlola Eunice, Olowe Modupe Oluwatoyin, Adeolu Olamilekan Tajudeen, & Olowe Olorundara Lois

Abstract

Digital literacy is an essential tool for empowering individuals living in poverty and improving their psychosocial well-being. This study focused on digital literacy's impact on poverty alleviation: A psychosocial perspective. A descriptive survey design was used to carry out the study. Simple random sampling was used to select 200 participants from 17 sampled impoverished communities in Nigeria. The research instrument contained fourteen (14) items that elicit information on the menace of digital illiteracy on poverty alleviation from a psychosocial perspective and how digital literacy levels impact the psychosocial well-being of individuals living in impoverished communities in Nigeria. Frequency, Percentage, and Mean were used to analyse the data from the study. The study revealed that lacking digital skills can create a sense of inadequacy and anxiety, as individuals may struggle to perform essential tasks. Self-efficacy, social support, employability, access to information, social capital, education and learning opportunities, psychological stress reduction, identity and stress reduction, identity and self-expression, and coping mechanisms are psychosocial factors that mediate the relationship between digital literacy and well-being among those living in poverty. It was recommended that psychosocial support should be integrated into digital literacy programs.

Keywords

igital Literacy, Psychosocial, Poverty Alleviation, Impoverished Communities

Full Text

Download

References

Adebowale, O., & Shonola, S. A. (2021). The Role of Digital Literacy in Poverty Alleviation and Socio-Economic Development in Nigeria. Journal of Digital Empowerment, 3(2), 45-59.
Bandura, A. (2001). Social Cognitive Theory: An Agentic Perspective. Annual Review of Psychology, 52, 1-26.
Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: a social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, Prentice-Hall.
Gomathy, C. K. (2019). A Study on The Effect of Digital Literacy and Information Management. Mining the E-Commerce Data to Analyse the Target Customer Behavior. View Project Books, Articles, And Posters for Colleagues View Project A Study on The Effect of Digital Literacy and Information Management. Http://Dynamicpublisher.Org/
Hamilton, E., & Facer, K. (2020). Digital Literacy in the Age of Technological Evolution: Navigating the Path to Digital Citizenship. Technology, Knowledge, and Society, 16(2), 117-134.
Johnson, L., & Kumar, S. (2022). The Importance of Digital Literacy in Accessing Government Assistance Programs. Journal of Digital Inclusion, 8(4), 112-127.
Jones, R., & Flannigan, S. (2021). Navigating Digital Spaces: Behaviour and Information Literacy. Journal of Digital Media & Interaction, 4(3), 10-24.
Johnson, L., et al. (2021). Digital Literacy's Role in Financial Inclusion. Finance & Development Review, 58(2), 44-49.
Lee, S., & Kim, Y. (2022). Digital Skills and Psychosocial Well-being. Journal of Community Health, 47(3), 567-574.
Liu, Z. J., Tretyakova, N., Fedorov, V., & Kharakhordina, M. (2020). Digital literacy and digital didactics as the basis for new learning model development. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning, 15(14), 4–18. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v15i14.14669
Martin, A. (2008). Digital Literacy and the "Digital Society". Digital Literacies: Concepts, Policies and Practices, 30-35.
OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (September 25 Version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com
Oyebanjo, O., Ologbon, O. A. C., Oshodi, D. A., Oluwasanya, O. P., & Dada, O. M. (2020). Adoption of Information Technology and its Effect on Cooperative Performance in Egba Division, Ogun State, Nigeria. In KIU Journal of Social Sciences KIU Journal of Social Sciences Copyright©2020 Kampala International University (Vol. 6, Issue 2).
Parianom, R., Arrafi, I., & Desmintari, J. (2022). The Impact of Digital Technology Literacy and Life Skills on Poverty Reduction. http://devotion.greenvest.co.id
Prochaska, J.O.; DiClemente, C.C. (2005). The transtheoretical approach. In Norcross, John C.; Goldfried, Marvin R. (eds.). Handbook of psychotherapy integration. Oxford series in clinical psychology (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 147–171. ISBN 978-0195165791. OCLC 54803644.
Ragnedda, M., & Muschert, G. W. (2013). The digital divide: The internet and social inequality in international perspective. Routledge.
Smith, J., & Doe, A. (2023). The Impact of Digital Literacy on Poverty Alleviation. Journal of Economic and Social Development, 15(2), 112-130.
Smith, A., & Johnson, B. (2020). The impact of information access on socio-economic development in low-income communities. Journal of Poverty Alleviation and International Development, 11(2), 35-50.
Smith, A., & Duggan, M. (2020). Digital literacy and employment opportunities. Journal of Economic Development, 45(3), 35-49.
Williams, R., & Thompson, S. (2023). Evaluating the Impact of Digital Literacy Initiatives on Poverty Alleviation. Policy Analysis Journal.