Jeremiah Spence

Brokering new technologies: The role of children in their parents’ usage of the internet

This study investigated to what extent sons and daughters influence their parents’ adoption of digital media, particularly the internet, compared to other influence sources. It also explored structural factors that play a role in this bottom-up process, such as socio-economic differences and gender. Finally, it examined the relationship between this bottom-up technology transmission process and parents’ levels of internet self-efficacy and online activities. Drawing from socialization and diffusion of innovation research and using a self-administered random mail survey, we found that children play a role in including their parents in the digital environment, particularly among women, people who are older (35 years old and above), and belong to lower socio-economic groups. We also found that this bottom-up technology transmission is somewhat negatively associated with parents’ internet self-efficacy. Implications and possible interpretations of these results are discussed.

Getting a second opinion: Social capital, digital inequalities, and health information repertoires

This research adopts a repertoire approach to examine the concept of a health information repertoire defined as a set of sources through which people get health information. Drawing on a random sample survey in Austin, TX, it borrows the concepts of cultural omnivores and univores to investigate how health information repertoire are related to social capital and digital inequalities. Results demonstrate that both the size and the composition of health information repertoires vary by social and digital connectivity. People with greater social capital have a larger repertoire and are less likely to be univores dependent on the Internet or interpersonal contacts. People with Internet access have a larger repertoire and are less likely to be univores dependent on television. More skilled Internet users are less likely to be univores dependent on interpersonal contacts, whereas frequent Internet users are more likely to be omnivores with a four‐channel repertoire including the Internet, interpersonal contacts, television, and newspaper. The positive relationship between social capital and repertoire size is stronger among less‐skilled Internet users. There are significant variations in health information repertoires in terms of media access and sociodemographic characteristics. Scholarly and practical implications are discussed.

Still Relevant? An Audience Analysis of Public and Government Access Channels

The literature on public, educational, and government (PEG) access channels has focused on production rather than audience analysis, which hinders our understanding whether such channels remain relevant forums for public expression and a source of community information in an increasingly digitized and converging media landscape. To address this gap, this study draws on random sampled survey data in Austin, Texas to analyze the audience of PEG access channels. Findings suggest that public access television remains relevant for underprivileged populations, especially racial minorities and less educated people. Online media do not reduce the importance of cablecasting public access content to local residents. Compared to non-viewers, viewers of public access channels have significantly higher social capital. This research has practical implications because many PEG channels across America have been cut back or shut down due to budget cuts.

Usage Dynamics of Telecenters in São Paulo, Brazil

Construido a partir de uma metodologia desenvolvida a apresentada em publicacao de Straubhaar, Ferreira e Spence (2006), este artigo apresenta uma analise introdutoria de tendencias de utilizacao da base de dados do Programa Acessa SP. O Acessa SP e uma iniciativa do governo de Sao Paulo de inclusao digital que desde 2001 tem oferecido acesso gratuito a internet e a servicos do governo viae-mail atraves de associacoes locais, associacoes comunitarias, organizacoes governamentais e governanca local. A pesquisa Ponline e um estudo anual aplicado on line em todos os 392 telecentros participantes do programa que mapeia e realiza o perfil das atitudes e habitos dos usuarios em relacao as novas tecnologias e suas comunidades de origem. Este artigo propicia uma estrutura para a classificacao dos telecentros operados pelo Programa Acessa SP utilizando um extenso banco de dados coletado atraves da Ponline (apresentado para o governo de Sao Paulo em novembro de 2006). Baseada em trabalhos anteriores este artigo ira permitir uma analise comparativa entre os telecentros da Acessa SP e projetos nacionais e internacionais similares, assim como ser concebido como uma base de dados complementar.