Sora Park

Dimensions of Digital Media Literacy and the Relationship with Social Exclusion

This article has two objectives. The first is to conceptualise digital media literacy as a multi-dimensional concept by differentiating media content from media device. A broad range of skills is required to use digital media, and each dimension can be clarified by separating the device from the content. The second goal is to relate social exclusion to digital media literacy. How people use digital technology has long-term outcomes that could be either beneficial or disadvantageous. In the first part of the article, the multi-dimensional aspect of digital media literacy is discussed. Dimensions include the abilities to access, understand and create both in the area of device and content. The second part of the article discusses how social exclusion is related mostly to the third dimension of digital media literacy: the ability to create and participate.

The impact of mobile tablet devices on human information behaviour

– Mobile computing devices are a significant access point for information activities. Theories and models of human information behaviour have developed over several decades but have not considered the role of the users computing device in digital information interactions. The purpose of this paper is to explore the information behaviours of young adults when they are given unlimited access to mobile tablet devices. , – As information tasks, behaviours and communities shift into digital environments, a researcher of these phenomena is required to mirror that movement with techniques that allow a full exploration of human behaviour and interaction in the online world. Following Kozinets (2009), “netnography” (ethnography in online communities) is applied in this study and all data are collected online from within a community of iPad users, established for the research purpose. , – This study reveals that access to mobile tablet devices creates significant shifts in the behaviours of young adults whose lives are immersed in digital information. Mobile tablet devices establish the potential for constant access to digital information and that opportunity is grasped by the participants in this research. Extensive use of mobile device applications or “apps” establishes a more selected and restricted view of information than that encountered in the open and expansive World Wide Web. , – This paper invites extension to human information behaviour theories and models to include a consideration of computing access device and of new mobility and constancy of access – all of which changes the circumstances and behaviour of the information actor.

A longitudinal study on the uses of mobile tablet devices and changes in digital media literacy of young adults

This study examined whether gaining access to a new digital device enhanced the digital media literacy of young adults and what factors determine such change. Thirty-five young adults were given a mobile tablet device and observed for one year. Participants engaged in an online community, responding regularly to online surveys and discussion forums. Digital media literacy, using multidimensional scales, was measured at the beginning and end of the study. Usage was measured every month to track changes over time. When measured with multiple dimensional scales, the participants’ digital media literacy levels increased over time. Those who used the tablet device for information access and social activities increased their digital media literacy in some dimensions. However, an increase in digital media literacy was not directly related to the time spent on the tablet.

The Multi-layers of Digital Exclusion in Rural Australia

Despite many policy interventions, Australias rural areas continue to be at a digital disadvantage. With the increasing penetration of information and communication technologies (ICT) into all public and private realms, there is a need to examine the deeply rooted digital divide and how it relates to multiple dimensions of infrastructure, services and demand in rural communities. This paper reports findings from a workshop with seven rural local governments from the State of New South Wales, Australia. The findings suggest that rural digital exclusion results from a multi-layered divide where elements of infrastructure, connectivity and digital engagement are intertwined.

The Impact of Trust in the News Media on Online News Consumption and Participation

Trust has long been considered an important factor that influences people’s relationship with news. However, the increase in the volume of information available online, together with the emergence of new tools and services that act as intermediaries and enable interactivity around the news, may have changed this relationship. Using Reuters Institute Digital News Report survey data (N = 21,524), this study explores the impact of individual trust in the news media on source preferences and online news participation behaviour, in particular sharing and commenting, across 11 countries. The results show that those with low levels of trust tend to prefer non-mainstream news sources like social media, blogs, and digital-born providers, and are more likely to engage in various forms of online news participation. These associations tend to be strongest in northern European countries, but are weaker elsewhere. Seeking alternative views and attempting to validate the credibility of news may be among the motivations behind these associations.

Always On and Always With Mobile Tablet Devices: A Qualitative Study on How Young Adults Negotiate With Continuous Connected Presence

Internet-enabled mobile devices expand the virtual spaces of Internet users. Mobile Internet users encounter continuous connectivity where they are not only always on but also always with the device. Users are presented with situations of continuous connected presence requiring them to deal with the overwhelming volume of virtual interaction. This study reports from a longitudinal study of 35 university students in Australia conducted in 2011/2012. Mobile tablet devices were given to participants who had never owned one before, to be observed over a period of 1 year. By qualitatively exploring how users experience and negotiate with the added virtual space, this study found that while users benefit from continuous connectivity, they also adopt strategies to disconnect from the ubiquitous access especially when engaging in tasks that require undivided attention. New users go through adjustment by developing their own involvement shield strategies while experimenting with online colocation and copresence.

A comparative study on the relationship between social networking site use and social capital among Australian and Korean youth

ABSTRACT Social network sites (SNS) have become increasingly pervasive in the daily lives of adolescents. This study explores the relationship between SNS use and perceived online social capital among adolescents using survey data from Australia and Korea. We conducted a face-to-face survey of adolescents (12–15-year-olds) in major cities in Australia (N = 401) and Korea (N = 644) in 2013. There was no significant difference in time spent on SNS between adolescents in the two countries; however, significant differences in the way adolescents use SNS were found. Australian adolescents tended to use SNS for group activities, whereas Koreans used it for social monitoring. There was a positive relationship between SNS use and online social capital in both countries. However, the types of social capital that were found to have a strong relationship to SNS use were different. Among Australian adolescents, SNS activities had a higher correlation with bonding social capital compared to bridging capital, whereas the result was contrasting among Korean adolescents. The impact of SNS use on online social capital differed between the two countries, showing that Australian adolescents reporting low SNS use gained online social capital if they used SNS more intensely. Finally, the impact of SNS use and culture on perceived online social capital was examined by conducting hierarchical multiple regressions. Interpersonal communication and group activities emerged as significant predictors of online social capital.

Distributing TV dramas in the digital environment: a Korean case

While ‘windowing’ as a vehicle for intertemporal price discrimination has been the traditional distribution strategy for TV programs, new digital technologies are calling for new distribution methods. In this study, we examine the changing distribution patterns for TV dramas in Korea. Analysis of primetime dramas that were aired on terrestrial broadcasting networks (KBS, MBC, SBS) in Korea during 2004–2006 shows that the temporally linear sequence of windowing is being replaced by a strategy of (near) simultaneous distribution across all available channels. However, focusing on cable channels and Internet video-on-demand, this study finds that the influence of a programs performance during its first run on a broadcast network on its performance in other channels is as strong as ever in this simultaneous diffusion pattern of distribution. We also find that programs with lower audience homogeneity do better in any medium. The qualities of popular TV programs as we have known them do not seem to have changed drastically. However, it seems that audiences have fragmented into cable or video-on-demand (VOD) subgroups with viewers choosing a medium based on its accessibility or their familiarity with it.

Online Activities, Digital Media Literacy, and Networked Individualism of Korean Youth

Networked individualism enables Internet users to connect and socialize via their loose and transient multiple networks, whereas digital media literacy is a precondition of effective Internet use. In this study, an attempt has been made to find the link between networked individualism, digital media literacy, and young people’s perception of their social capital. A nationally representative face-to-face survey was conducted with Korean adolescents in 2013. Networked individualism was higher in adolescents who frequently engaged in online activities and who demonstrated greater digital media literacy. Belonging to multiple, diverse networks and having many connections was positively correlated to adolescents’ online social capital. Findings indicate that online activities and skills influence the ways adolescents connect to others and perceive of their social connectedness.

Differences in Friendship Networks and Experiences of Cyberbullying Among Korean and Australian Adolescents

ABSTRACT Cyberbullying is one of the negative consequences of online social interaction. The digital environment enables adolescents to engage in online social interaction beyond the traditional physical boundaries of families, neighborhoods, and schools. The authors examined connections to friendship networks in both online and offline settings are related to their experiences as victims, perpetrators, and bystanders of cyberbullying. A comparative face-to-face survey of adolescents (12–15-year-olds) was conducted in Korea (n = 520) and Australia (n = 401). The results reveal that online networks are partially related to cyberbullying in both countries, showing the size of social network sites was significantly correlated with experience cyberbullying among adolescents in both countries. However there were cultural differences in the impact of friendship networks on cyberbullying. The size of the online and offline networks has a stronger impact on the cyberbullying experiences in Korea than it does in Australia. In particular, the number of friends in cliques was positively related to both bullying and victimization in Korea.