[[alternative]]An Analysis of Households' Information Application Behavior in Taiwan

[[abstract]] 網際網路與資訊科技的快速發展，帶給人們便利的生活，但也因不同的社經背景程度，造成民眾接近網路機會不一致的情況，此乃所謂數位落差。早期研究數位落差之議題，主要著重在民眾資訊通信科技相關設備的擁有與使用情況的瞭解。但隨著網際網路的普及，數位落差的探討，亦應包括使用者資訊應用能力之差異。 本研究利用2006年台灣網路資訊中心之寬頻網路使用調查問卷資料，以Heckman提出之兩階段估計法，建立一家戶連網與資訊應用行為之兩階段估計模型。實證結果顯示，家戶所得越高、戶長教育程度越高、家庭人口數越多、年齡層越低，家戶選擇連網的機會就越高，同時居住地區別、職位別也會影響連網與否的決定。在資訊應用行為之人口特徵分析部份，研究結果發現具有下面四項特色。（1）個人所得越高、教育程度越高、男性、年齡層越低，上網時數越長。（2）在個人最常使用的寬頻上網功能，其中包含了瀏覽資訊與網頁、網路購物、電子郵件、網路即時傳呼或聊天室、網路遊戲、下載軟體資料、下載影音檔以及搜尋資訊功能，實證結果顯示，所得與教育變數對電子郵件功能具顯著影響；性別方面，女性重視網路購物、電子郵件及網路即時傳呼或聊天室功能，男性則注重網路遊戲、下載軟體及影音檔之功能；資訊近用程度越低的地區，對於搜尋資訊功能的使用相對提高。（3）在寬頻付費服務之使用，其中包含了網路金融、線上學習與遠距教學、網路電影電視、網路音樂、線上遊戲及網路電話服務，實證結果顯示，所得對網路音樂和網路電話有顯著影響；教育對網路金融、網路音樂、線上遊戲有顯著影響；男性重視網路電影電視、線上遊戲及網路電話的服務；年齡層中以26~35歲者對網路金融和網路電話的使用率較高。資訊近用程度越低的地區對線上學習與遠距教學、網路電視電影和網路電話具正且顯著影響。（4）利用ordered probit model分析民眾未來使用寬頻付費服務之意願，研究結果顯示，所得、教育、性別、年齡、地區別變數對民眾未來是否選擇使用寬頻付費服務具顯著影響。[[abstract]] The rapid developments of internet and information communication technologies have greatly benefited people’s lives. Prior research in digital divide mainly focuses on the determinants of internet access. As more literature highlights the fact the digital devide in internet connection is declining, the research has shifted its focus to the determinants of internet use. Using data from a detailed survey of broadband usage conducted by TWNIC in 2006, we model the home adoption and internet usage decision as a two-stage process and estimate it with a Heckman’s two-stage estimation procedure. We find that there exist regional and occupational disparities in internet adoption and those with demographic characteristics, such as higher household income, higher educated household head, large number of household members, and younger people, are more likely to have internet adoption. In addition, conditional on adoption, we explore the impact of several socio-demographic factors on internet use. We find that (1) high-income, high-educated, younger male spent more time online; (2) Both income and education have significant effects on email , the female is more likely to use information applications, such as online-shopping, email, and online-chatting, the male is more likely to use online-game, downloading; the area with lower internet adoption rate is more likely to use the information-searching; (3) Education is negatively correlated with the paid web-finance, web-music and online-game, the male is more likely to pay for the web-movie, online-game, and web-phone, adopters with the age between 26 and 35 are more likely to use web-finance and web-phone; (4) Income, education, gender, age and region have significant effects on adopters’ willingness to use paid services in the future