For Whom the Web Toils: How Internet Experience Predicts Web Reliance and Credibility

This study employs an online survey of politically interested Internet users to examine the degree to which Internet experience predicts reliance on the World Wide Web (Web) and Web credibility. Respondents in this study represent an experienced group of Internet users. The average user had been online 6.2 years. However, they regularly engaged in only 9.4 of 22 possible online activities, suggesting they regularly visit a core group of sites. Although years online and number of online activities emerged as distinct measures of Internet experience, neither strongly predicted Web reliance or Web credibility. Neither Internet experience variable predicted any of the six measures of Internet credibility. Number of activities did not influence Web reliance and years online was negatively related, indicating that those who had been online for a shorter time were more likely to rely on the Web than veteran users.