María Teresa Becerra Traver

Ciberactivismo: nueva forma de participación para estudiantes universitarios

The purpose of this article is to show the results derived from a sample of students who were enrolled in different bachelor degree programs offered by the University of Sonora in Mexico. There was a double objective for this study. First, to identify cyber activist students through the answers gathered through a questionnaire taken electronically using as inclusion criteria the presence of high and medium levels of participation and commitment in different actions undertaken in four topic areas (environment, academic, social and citizen issues, and human rights). As a second objective, and after selecting three unique cases of cyber activist students, inflexion points were determined in the activities performed by these youngsters in digital social networks. Using personal narrative as a methodological strategy, the students described how they interact with others through different digital networks. Among the first categories identified in the indepth interviews are: interaction history (use, access and availability of technology at a young age), and active participation about topics of interest in social networks (organization and the perceptions of achievements made). As main findings, there are the availability of these resources from a young age, personal motivation in participating in diverse topics, enjoyment of expressing one’s opinion freely, electronic participation as a way to commit to a cause, and not joining an organization while participating.Se presentan resultados derivados de una muestra de estudiantes que asisten a las diversas licenciaturas que ofrece la Universidad de Sonora en Mexico. El objetivo fue doble, en un primer momento, identificar a estudiantes ciberactivistas a traves de las respuestas obtenidas de un cuestionario aplicado de manera electronica, utilizando como criterios de inclusion la presencia de puntajes medios y altos en el nivel de participacion y compromiso en las diversas acciones emprendidas en cuatro temas (medio ambiente, academicos, problemas sociales y ciudadanos, y derechos humanos). En un segundo momento y a partir de la seleccion de tres casos unicos de estudiantes ciberactivistas, se determinaron puntos de inflexion en las actividades desarrolladas por estos jovenes en las redes sociales digitales, utilizando como estrategia metodologica la narrativa de los propios estudiantes cuando interactuan con otros en las redes. Entre las categorias iniciales en las entrevistas en profundidad se encuentra: la historia de interaccion (uso, acceso y disposicion de la tecnologia desde temprana edad), y la participacion activa en las redes sociales sobre temas de interes (organizacion y percepcion de logros alcanzados). Como principales hallazgos se encuentra la disposicion de estos recursos desde temprana edad, la motivacion personal en los diversos temas, el gusto para expresarse de manera libre, la participacion electronica como forma de comprometerse con las causas, y la no afiliacion a organizaciones al participar.The purpose of this article is to show the results derived from a sample of students who were enrolled in different bachelor degree programs offered by the University of Sonora in Mexico. There was a double objective for this study. First, to identify cyber activist students through the answers gathered through a questionnaire taken electronically using as inclusion criteria the presence of high and medium levels of participation and commitment in different actions undertaken in four topic areas (environment, academic, social and citizen issues, and human rights). As a second objective, and after selecting three unique cases of cyber activist students, inflexion points were determined in the activities performed by these youngsters in digital social networks. Using personal narrative as a methodological strategy, the students described how they interact with others through different digital networks. Among the first categories identified in the indepth interviews are: interaction history (use, access and availability of technology at a young age), and active participation about topics of interest in social networks (organization and the perceptions of achievements made). As main findings, there are the availability of these resources from a young age, personal motivation in participating in diverse topics, enjoyment of expressing one’s opinion freely, electronic participation as a way to commit to a cause, and not joining an organization while participating.