Digital Access and Practices Related to the Knowledge Economy Among Young Ecuadorians: Implications for Sustainable Education and Digital Inclusion

Abstract

This study analyzes the relationship between functional digital access and knowledge-economy practices among young Ecuadorian adults, with emphasis on their implications for sustainable digital inclusion and knowledge-based development. The study is based on the premise that access to the Internet, devices, and technological tools does not necessarily ensure critical, productive, collaborative, or knowledge-generating uses of information. A quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional, and descriptive-correlational design was applied to a non-probabilistic sample of 441 young Ecuadorian adults aged 18 to 30. Data were collected through an online self-reported questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, KMO and Bartlett indicators, confirmatory factor analysis, the Mann–Whitney U test, effect sizes, and Spearman’s rho with 95% confidence intervals. The instrument showed very high internal consistency for knowledge-economy practices (α=0.978; ω=0.978) and functional digital access and technological resources (α=0.963; ω=0.964). The CFA supported the proposed three-factor structure of knowledge-economy practices more strongly than a one-factor model, although the high reliability coefficients also suggest possible item homogeneity. The results showed that functional digital access was perceived more favorably than knowledge-economy practices. A very strong, positive, and statistically significant association was found between functional digital access and knowledge-economy practices (ρ=0.822, 95% CI [0.765, 0.870], p<0.001). Information management and collaboration was the dimension most strongly associated with functional digital access (ρ=0.820, 95% CI [0.764, 0.868], p<0.001). Women reported higher scores than men in knowledge-economy practices, although the effect size was small (r=0.158; rrb=0.184). These findings suggest that functional digital access is a necessary but insufficient condition for sustainable digital inclusion. The study contributes empirical evidence from a developing-country context and highlights the need for educational and public-policy strategies that transform connectivity into critical learning, collaboration, innovation, employability, and knowledge creation.