Intelligent Management and Artificial Intelligence: Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities, Vol.1

Purpose: The primary aim of this study was to determine the impact of digital competencies on young people's activity in social media. Need for the study: Digital competencies play a vital role in effectively utilizing social media as they enable content creation, interaction with others, influence communication, and support their use for professional, educational, or social purposes. Methodology: The article presents survey results conducted among Polish students. The research was carried out in two phases using both paper and electronic questionnaires: the first phase in 2018 and the second in 2024. Participants assessed their digital competencies using a Likert scale and answered questions about their use of social media. The data were organized and analyzed using multivariate statistical analysis tools, including statistical tests and correlation analysis. The analyses employed the Spearman correlation coefficient, the two-proportion Z-test, and the Mann-Whitney U test. Most calculations were performed using the Statistica 13 software suite. Findings: A key finding of the research is that while YouTube and Facebook maintain leading roles among young people, there is a noticeable rise in the popularity of Instagram and TikTok. The division between groups of media is distinct; however, by 2024, there was a stronger connection observed between users, regardless of the platform, than between merely owning and managing an account. Practical Implications: Understanding how students use social media is crucial for universities and could contribute to developing effective strategies to facilitate social media engagement. Taking action to increase digital knowledge and skills in order to improve quality of life, achieve better results at work and increase competitiveness in the labor market. This is also crucial from the perspective of intelligent management of an organization, which uses modern technologies to improve the functioning of an organization in many areas.