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Online social connections and Internet use among people with intellectual disabilities in the United Kingdom during the COVID-19 pandemic

Caton, Sue; Hatton, Chris; Gillooly, Amanda; Oloidi, Edward; Clarke, Libby; Bradshaw, Jill; Flynn, Samantha; ... Hastings, Richard P; + view all (2022) Online social connections and Internet use among people with intellectual disabilities in the United Kingdom during the COVID-19 pandemic. New Media & Society , Article 14614448221093762. 10.1177/14614448221093762. (In press). Green open access

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Abstract

Having a disability, in particular, an intellectual disability, is associated with Internet non-use. This article explores how people with intellectual disabilities used the Internet across the United Kingdom during the COVID-19 pandemic. In April to May 2021, 571 adults with intellectual disabilities were interviewed. Participants most commonly used the Internet for being with family and friends, social media or doing online activities with other people. People who lived with family were the most likely to use social media; people who lived with other people with intellectual disabilities were the least likely. People who self-reported as not lonely were more likely to use the Internet for online activities with others and play video games with others. Social connections were identified as the best thing about the Internet. Many participants chose not to identify a worst thing about Internet use, while others reported issues with technology, online harm and threats to well-being.

Type: Article
Title: Online social connections and Internet use among people with intellectual disabilities in the United Kingdom during the COVID-19 pandemic
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1177/14614448221093762
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448221093762
Language: English
Additional information: This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Keywords: COVID-19, disability, intellectual disability, Internet, learning disability
UCL classification: UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Div of Psychology and Lang Sciences > Clinical, Edu and Hlth Psychology
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Div of Psychology and Lang Sciences
URI: https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10149881
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