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

Sue  Caton; C Hatton; A Gillooly; E Oloidi; L Clarke; J Bradshaw; Samantha Flynn; Laurence Taggart; Peter Mulhall; Andrew Jahoda; Roseann Maguire; A Marriott; Stuart Todd; David W F Abbott; S Beyer; Nick Gore; Pauline Heslop; Katrina Scior; Richard Hastings

doi:10.1177/14614448221093762

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

Sue Caton^*, C Hatton, A Gillooly, E Oloidi, L Clarke, J Bradshaw, Samantha Flynn, Laurence Taggart, Peter Mulhall, Andrew Jahoda, Roseann Maguire, A Marriott, Stuart Todd, David W F Abbott, S Beyer, Nick Gore, Pauline Heslop, Katrina Scior, Richard Hastings

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

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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.

Original language	English
Journal	New Media and Society
Early online date	6 May 2022
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448221093762
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 6 May 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article: This research was jointly funded by UK Research and Innovation (MR/V028596/1) and the National Institute for Health Research (COV0196) and supported by the Department for Health and Social Care (National Institute for Health Research) as part of the UKRI-DHSC COVID-19 Rapid Response Rolling Call. The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of DHSC, NIHR, UKRI or MRC.

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2022.

Research Groups and Themes

SPS Norah Fry Centre for Disability Studies

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Caton, S., Hatton, C., Gillooly, A., Oloidi, E., Clarke, L., Bradshaw, J., Flynn, S., Taggart, L., Mulhall, P., Jahoda, A., Maguire, R., Marriott, A., Todd, S., Abbott, D. W. F., Beyer, S., Gore, N., Heslop, P., Scior, K., & Hastings, R. (2022). Online social connections and Internet use among people with intellectual disabilities in the United Kingdom during the COVID-19 pandemic. New Media and Society. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448221093762

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

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.",

author = "Sue Caton and C Hatton and A Gillooly and E Oloidi and L Clarke and J Bradshaw and Samantha Flynn and Laurence Taggart and Peter Mulhall and Andrew Jahoda and Roseann Maguire and A Marriott and Stuart Todd and Abbott, {David W F} and S Beyer and Nick Gore and Pauline Heslop and Katrina Scior and Richard Hastings",

note = "Funding Information: The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article: This research was jointly funded by UK Research and Innovation (MR/V028596/1) and the National Institute for Health Research (COV0196) and supported by the Department for Health and Social Care (National Institute for Health Research) as part of the UKRI-DHSC COVID-19 Rapid Response Rolling Call. The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of DHSC, NIHR, UKRI or MRC. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2022.",

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month = may,

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language = "English",

journal = "New Media and Society",

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Caton, S, Hatton, C, Gillooly, A, Oloidi, E, Clarke, L, Bradshaw, J, Flynn, S, Taggart, L, Mulhall, P, Jahoda, A, Maguire, R, Marriott, A, Todd, S, Abbott, DWF, Beyer, S, Gore, N, Heslop, P, Scior, K & Hastings, R 2022, 'Online social connections and Internet use among people with intellectual disabilities in the United Kingdom during the COVID-19 pandemic', New Media and Society. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448221093762

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T1 - Online social connections and Internet use among people with intellectual disabilities in the United Kingdom during the COVID-19 pandemic

AU - Caton, Sue

AU - Hatton, C

AU - Gillooly, A

AU - Oloidi, E

AU - Clarke, L

AU - Bradshaw, J

AU - Flynn, Samantha

AU - Taggart, Laurence

AU - Mulhall, Peter

AU - Jahoda, Andrew

AU - Maguire, Roseann

AU - Marriott, A

AU - Todd, Stuart

AU - Abbott, David W F

AU - Beyer, S

AU - Gore, Nick

AU - Heslop, Pauline

AU - Scior, Katrina

AU - Hastings, Richard

N1 - Funding Information: The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article: This research was jointly funded by UK Research and Innovation (MR/V028596/1) and the National Institute for Health Research (COV0196) and supported by the Department for Health and Social Care (National Institute for Health Research) as part of the UKRI-DHSC COVID-19 Rapid Response Rolling Call. The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of DHSC, NIHR, UKRI or MRC. Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2022.

PY - 2022/5/6

Y1 - 2022/5/6

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

U2 - 10.1177/14614448221093762

DO - 10.1177/14614448221093762

M3 - Article (Academic Journal)

C2 - 38706952

SN - 1461-4448

JO - New Media and Society

JF - New Media and Society

ER -

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

Abstract

Bibliographical note

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