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Learning Objectives: 14-5: Summarize the role of technology in the lives of digital natives, digital settlers, and digital immigrants.

Learning Objectives: 14-6: Contrast the negative and positive impacts of technology on society, especially for teens and youth.

Smith, J., Skrbis, Z., & Western, M. (2012). Beneath the 'Digital Native' myth: Understanding young Australians' online time use. Journal of Sociology, 49(1), 97-118. doi:10.1177/1440783311434856

Description: As young people’s internet use shapes their experiences of education, work and personal relationships, their portrayal as ‘Digital Natives’ suggests that they are invariably better positioned than preceding generations to capitalize on such changes. Recent debates in internet use research undermine this view. While acknowledging socio-demographic differences in use, theorists disagree as to whether these reflect disparities in internet access, processes of social stratification, or users’ rational assessment of risks and opportunities. Incorporating these views, this article develops a framework for investigating differences in academic and social internet use by using data from 6444 high school students in Queensland, Australia. The results show that different factors structure students’ entry into these use pathways. Since social use depends on one’s home access context, remote students with poorer access spent less time on this activity, whereas students at independent and Catholic schools were heavier academic users, because they possessed the requisite academic orientation.

Questions to Consider:

1. For the critical thinking question, I am using the two questions that the articles authors’ used to frame their research:  What are the relevant factors for explaining whether or not young people engage in basic forms of Internet use? How do individuals differ on these key factors?

2. The article mentions that most research on Internet use among young people is dominated by three theoretical perspectives.  Which of the below is NOT one of these theoretical perspectives?

1. Universal diffusion
2. Social Exchange Theory (Correct answer)
3. Cumulative advantage
4. Disadvantage and opportunity/cost

3. Which theoretical perspectives posits, that innovation is first utilized by people from higher SES groups, and then becomes more widely used by lower SES groups as the technology becomes less expensive and more available?

1. Universal diffusion (Correct answer)
2. Social Exchange Theory
3. Cumulative advantage
4. Disadvantage and opportunity/cost