consumptions and digital divides

8/10/2019 Consumptions and Digital Divides

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Consumptions andDigital Divides


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Introduction

The existence of unequal pattern of development around the

globe

New media consumption

Is there any gap existed?

Is the same pattern like the unequal patterns of global

development?


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Global Internet Use

Patterns of distribution across the globe

All countriesequal access?

North-Western vs Southern Regions


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Global Internet

IP distribution


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Global use

Pattern follows the global distribution of wealth


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New media introduces change

Manuel Castells argumentnew media introduce changes to

the world economyparallel to those of industrialization and

the shift to mass production

Rate of internet diffusionneed to revise the original ideas of

inequality


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Language use on the internet


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Cont..

Internet is not diffused in an equal mannernevertheless

found in all countries of the world

We may associate it with globalization

Siapera (2012)- the spread of internet is indeed global, the

role and significance of the West is diminished.


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Internet: Assumption?

Is it sufficient for people to have access to the internet (and

other media), in order to benefit from them?

All users using the same way?

Do you aware of your online patterns?


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Digital Divide

The notioncomplex and multilevel

Haves and have-nots

Follow an economic logic

Frank Webster (1995) - sufficient sociological sophistication


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Digital Inequality

Paul DiMaggio and Eszter Hargittai (2001)

suggest that a conceptual shiftdigital divide to digital

inequality


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Five dimensions of inequality

1) Technical means

2) Autonomy of use

3) Use patterns

4) Social support

5) Skills


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Age and new media use

Robust and persistent findings regarding internet use concerns

the relationship between age and use.

US & Cyprus - the older you are the less likely you are to make

use of the internet


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Cont

Age is inversely related to internet


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Different dimension?

the concept is not differentiated enough

Ellen Helsper (2010)life stage

points in a persons life where daily rhythm and routine alter

drastically due to a change in a persons role in society

(2010:355)

Identied occupational shifts as among the major life-stage

shifts.

more accurate predictor of new media use


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Gender and new media use

gender still remains a predictor of inequalities

gender remain a factor in determining new media use?

do women suffer new media exclusion, which deprives them

of even more opportunities?


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Cont..

the gender gap may be closing - there is still significant

differences in the extent and kind of use of the internet.


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Cont

Oxford Internet Institute Survey (OxIS) reports

that:

while 65% of men feel confident about their

technical skills, only about 36% of women feelthe same

men often look for information on news and

sports, while women look for health information

leisure and entertainment: men are more likely

than women to listen to and download music

and videos and play games


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Cont

Pew American Life and the Internet Project

(2005) report found that men use internet for

recreational more than women, they look for

more kinds of information compared to women,they are more likely to use it for banking, and are

more interested in technology. Women on the

other hand, are more likely to use email to

communicate with friends and family and ingeneral to pursue personal relationships in

online context.


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Race/ethnicity and new media use

the same pattern is also expected in relations to ethnicity and

new media use.

ethnic minorities are disadvantaged when it comes to

opportunitiescompare to the ethnic majority


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Cont

Jackson, Zhao, Kolenic, Fitzgerald, Harold and von Eye

(2008) - general white children were using computer

longer than African-American children

African-American boys used both computers and the

internet less than other groups

however, African American girls used the internet more

often than any other group

of all the groups studied, African American boys were

found to use all kinds of new media the least, with one

exception: they played video games more than African

American girls and even their whites counterpart.


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Class activity

Go back to your blogs group

Discuss some of the things that you want to know about your

friends online consumption

Develop a simple questionnaire (around 10 questions)

Pass it to the group next to yours

Collect it and analyze it

Blog it!

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