Suchergebnisse

The evolution of internet access and use in Brazil in the direction of social inclusiveness and to guarantee uses that promote individual and community development is the focus of the present paper. Previous evidence on the subject initially presented indicates the prevalence of contrasting aspects: some outstanding positive initiatives and results towards democratization of the internet, as well as the maintenance of great digital inequalities. New evidence on the evolution of internet access and use is also discussed herein, based on analyses of longitudinal data obtained from the Brazilian Census Bureau's Annual Survey (IBGE/PNAD, 2005, 2008). After describing aspects of increase in access to the internet, we focus on the evolution of different types of everyday life internet uses, particularly those that might contribute to individual and community development. How accesses and uses are gradually incorporating the less privileged sectors of the Brazilian adult population is also considered in the analyses. The results obtained reinforce the previous contrasting evidences: outstanding growth in access and in diversified uses are observed - suggesting intensive appropriation of internet technology and resources by the population - as well as the persistence of great inequalities. These circumstances indicate that the digital divide in Brazil is still a great challenge to be faced through comprehensive and long-term policies and initiatives.

Objective. This study examined the relationship between youth leisure activities, peer relations, & prosocial attitudes & the frequency of Internet use among adolescents in Israel. Methods. Hypotheses were tested using data from a face-to-face survey of a representative sample of the Israeli youth population (n = 927) conducted in Feb 1998. Results. It was found that the lower an individual's level of attachment to close friends & the less prosocial attitudes he/she expressed, the higher was the likelihood of his/her being a frequent Internet user. However, Internet users were more likely than nonusers to participate in social activities such as parties, singers' performances, & sports activities. Conclusions. Contrary to public perceptions, it appears that among the adolescent population of Israel, Internet use is not displacing other social activities. However, adolescents who are more socially isolated are more likely to be frequent Internet users. Future research should explore whether for this group, the Internet is being used to overcome individuals' barriers to the formation of social relationships. 2 Tables, 19 References. Adapted from the source document.

The arrival of the virtual realm and computer mediated communication (CMC) continues to attract considerable interest from a wide range of disciplines. Hine (2000) has suggested that previously negative understandings of CMC have been transcended. The virtual realm is now welcomed as a site for richer and more sustained interaction than previously envisaged. For the research community, the rapid development of the World Wide Web has opened new horizons and provided access to a new frontier and tool for data collection. The researcher can now engage in research on a world-wide, low cost, almost instantaneous scale - and in ways which potentially overcome some of the barriers imposed by more conventional research approaches. However, this somewhat idealistic view obscures both methodological and ethical difficulties that have become apparent throughout this research. If these difficulties are left unchecked, they may serve to undermine the use of the Internet as a tool for social research. The primary aim of this paper is to expose these difficulties and thus broaden the scope of discourse surrounding the Internet. A secondary aim is to explore the implications of the use of the Internet for the feminist methodological and research project. My aim here is to problematise the transference of existing methodological frameworks to an online setting. In this respect, I have presented this paper in the form of a research trajectory, outlining the course of my research from its conception to latter stages. The intention here is to suggest an avoidance of the use of the Internet as an 'easy option' and encourage a more developed focus on the justification, applicability and benefits of Internet research to the particular project. What has become apparent is that the effectiveness of CMC is much dependent on who is being researched, what is being researched and why.

Part 5: Smart Solutions for the Future ; International audience ; The number of information technology users increases as fast as new information technology develops. This paper aims to analyse Internet users older than 65 years and focusing on the Czech Republic, the Visegrad group (also referred to as V4) and the European Union. Elderly people use the Internet the least from all age groups. The partial aim of this paper is to analyse whether, since 2009, there has been a constant increase in Internet users in the elderly age group in the Czech Republic and also the EU. The second scientific issue deals with the confirmation that the number of Internet users in the 65+ age group is similar to the EU-28 and V4. The analysis showed that the number of 65+ users has been steadily increasing since 2009. In the Czech Republic only 28.4% elderly people used internet in 2015 and 26.7% in 2014. According to Eurostat methodology the Internet is used in the 65–74 years age group by 33% of users. More than one third (38%) of elderly aged 65–74 used the internet at least once a week in the EU-28.