Socio-demographic characteristics and their influence on the use of Information Technologies in Chile

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between people’s socio-demographic characteristics and their use of Information Technology (IT) in Chile, employing an abridged version of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The data collected supports the TAM, showing that the perceived easiness of use (PEOU) and perceived usefulness (PU) positively impact the use of computers (U). In turn, perceived ease of use favors perceived usefulness. Regarding the socio-demographic variables, family income (FI) and educational level (EL) positively influence PEOU, PU and U, contrary to age (A), which negatively impacts those variables. Likewise, the data showed a positive correlation between FI and EL, and a negative correlation between A and EL. Unlike previous studies, this research gathered data using a heterogeneous sample, which included subjects who exhibited different income, age, and educational levels, approximating the urban Chilean population. Thus, this paper presents a picture of the use of IT, which makes it useful for guiding government policy making aimed at promoting the collective use of IT in a developing country.