Wan-Ying Lin

Geo-ethnic storytelling An examination of ethnic media content in contemporary immigrant communities

This article investigates the content of ethnic media to better understand their roles in contemporary immigrant communities under the forces of globalization, population diversity, and new communication technologies. Drawing upon communication infrastructure theory (CIT), we argue that globalization is always experienced in the local context. We thus investigate the extent to which the ethnic press tells geo-ethnic stories, which are culturally relevant and locally vital information to immigrants in the host society. We analyzed 51 ethnic newspapers in the Asian and Latino neighborhoods of Los Angeles. The findings showed that these print media outlets in new immigrant communities were very diverse, ranging from small mom-and-pop businesses, to medium-and large-sized enterprises. In terms of the nature of news stories, we found that the news coverage in the ethnic press included a large amount of news related to the home country, in contrast to a relatively small number of geoethnic stories that are essential to community building.

The influence of social environment on internet connectedness of adolescents in Seoul, Singapore and Taipei

This article examines the influence of the social environment on adolescents’ connectedness to the internet in East Asia, one of the most wired regions in the world. Connectedness is a qualitative conceptualization of an individual’s relationship with the internet, taking into consideration the breadth, depth, and the importance of individuals’ internet experience. This study seeks to situate adolescents’ internet connectedness in three spheres of social environment: (1) the general social support measured by how easy it is to get help when adolescents encounter problems in using the internet; (2) the parents, where we examine parents’ socioeconomic status and their internet use; and (3) the peer group, where we look into the proportion of friends who connect to the internet. The results from a survey of 1303 adolescents in Seoul, Singapore and Taipei support our major hypothesis that among the internet-using adolescents, their internet connectedness patterns differ by the nature of their social environments.

Becoming Citizens: Youths’ Civic Uses of New Media in Five Digital Cities in East Asia

Asian youths are embracing communication technologies at a burgeoning rate, yet interesting differences in Internet access and use exist among this younger generation. Our empirical investigation provides a rich and comparative look into what Asian youths do online, with an emphasis on an understudied area: their civic uses of new media. Data collected among youths aged between 12 and 17 in Hong Kong, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei, and Tokyo in 2007 show that this ‘digital generation’ has grown up with computers and the Internet, with 96% of them being internet users, and having 6 years of computer experience on average. Our results suggest that the Internet may facilitate citizenship among Asian youths although entertainment-related activities such as downloading music or playing games remain the most popular activities online. Sixty-five percent of them read online news, almost half of them have ever cast a vote on the Internet, and every one in five has signed an online petition. Differences in Internet usage and civic behaviors among youths in five cities are presented, suggesting the contextual nature of Internet use influenced by civic culture.The paper concludes with a discussion of differences in Internet use among Asian youths between 2001 and 2007, together with research implications for better understanding this population.

Trusting Social Media as a Source of Health Information: Online Surveys Comparing the United States, Korea, and Hong Kong

Background The Internet has increasingly become a popular source of health information by connecting individuals with health content, experts, and support. More and more, individuals turn to social media and Internet sites to share health information and experiences. Although online health information seeking occurs worldwide, limited empirical studies exist examining cross-cultural differences in perceptions about user-generated, experience-based information compared to expertise-based information sources. Objective To investigate if cultural variations exist in patterns of online health information seeking, specifically in perceptions of online health information sources. It was hypothesized that Koreans and Hongkongers, compared to Americans, would be more likely to trust and use experience-based knowledge shared in social Internet sites, such as social media and online support groups. Conversely, Americans, compared to Koreans and Hongkongers, would value expertise-based knowledge prepared and approved by doctors or professional health providers more. Methods Survey questionnaires were developed in English first and then translated into Korean and Chinese. The back-translation method ensured the standardization of questions. Surveys were administered using a standardized recruitment strategy and data collection methods. Results A total of 826 participants living in metropolitan areas from the United States (n=301), Korea (n=179), and Hong Kong (n=337) participated in the study. We found significant cultural differences in information processing preferences for online health information. A planned contrast test revealed that Koreans and Hongkongers showed more trust in experience-based health information sources (blogs: t 451.50=11.21, P<.001; online support group: t 455.71=9.30, P<.001; social networking sites [SNS]: t 466.75=11.36, P<.001) and also reported using blogs (t 515.31=6.67, P<.001) and SNS (t 529.22=4.51, P<.001) more frequently than Americans. Americans showed a stronger preference for using expertise-based information sources (eg, WebMD and CDC) compared to Koreans and Hongkongers (t 360.02=3.01, P=.003). Trust in expertise-based information sources was universal, demonstrating no cultural differences (Brown-Forsythe F 2,654=1.82, P=.16). Culture also contributed significantly to differences in searching information on behalf of family members (t 480.38=5.99, P<.001) as well as to the goals of information searching. Conclusions This research found significant cultural differences in information processing preferences for online health information. Further discussion is included regarding effective communication strategies in providing quality health information.

Health information seeking in the Web 2.0 age

Self-disclosure is purposeful disclosure of personal information to other people, and online self-disclosure on health-related issues is important in promoting a safe and sound online health environment. The present study investigates the ways in which youths engage in online self-disclosure of health-related issues in the Web 2.0 age. We examine how self-disclosure is driven by the level of trust in social media and uncertainty reduction actions, i.e., seeking information to verify and challenge the prescription after visiting medical professionals. Comparative surveys were conducted in Hong Kong, South Korea, and the U.S., respectively. Compared to their counterparts in South Korea and the U.S., youths in Hong Kong were significantly more likely to disclose personal health issues with peers online. Hong Kong youths also held the highest level of trust towards health-related information on social media. Meanwhile, both the level of trust in social media and uncertainty reduction actions were positively associated with online self-disclosure. It examines how youths engage in online self-disclosure of health-related issues.Comparative surveys were conducted in Hong Kong, South Korea, and the U.S.Youths in Hong Kong were more likely to disclose personal health issues online.Trust in social media increased online self-disclosure in the U.S. and Hong Kong.Uncertainty reduction actions facilitated self-disclosure in all three societies.

The dynamic relationship between East Asian adolescents’ use of the internet and their use of other media

We examined the internet connectedness of adolescents in relation to their use of traditional media, including television, radio and newspapers, as well as their goals when going online. The study was based on a survey of 1874 adolescents in five East Asian cities – Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul, Taipei and Tokyo. We first identify three types of internet connectedness: communication/entertainment; expression/participation; and information/research. We then examine how each type of internet connectedness relates to adolescents’ use of other media. Finally, we examine how different types of internet connectedness and other media uses are shaped by ‘internet-related goals’. Our research results indicate that the use of the internet together with other media such as television, radio and newspapers differs depending on the type of internet connectedness, and that adolescents use not only the internet but other types of media to fulfill specific internet-related goals.

Full length articleHealth information seeking in the Web 2.0 age: Trust in social media, uncertainty reduction, and self-disclosure

Self-disclosure is purposeful disclosure of personal information to other people, and online self-disclosure on health-related issues is important in promoting a safe and sound online health environment. The present study investigates the ways in which youths engage in online self-disclosure of health-related issues in the Web 2.0 age. We examine how self-disclosure is driven by the level of trust in social media and uncertainty reduction actions, i.e., seeking information to verify and challenge the prescription after visiting medical professionals. Comparative surveys were conducted in Hong Kong, South Korea, and the U.S., respectively. Compared to their counterparts in South Korea and the U.S., youths in Hong Kong were significantly more likely to disclose personal health issues with peers online. Hong Kong youths also held the highest level of trust towards health-related information on social media. Meanwhile, both the level of trust in social media and uncertainty reduction actions were positively associated with online self-disclosure. It examines how youths engage in online self-disclosure of health-related issues.Comparative surveys were conducted in Hong Kong, South Korea, and the U.S.Youths in Hong Kong were more likely to disclose personal health issues online.Trust in social media increased online self-disclosure in the U.S. and Hong Kong.Uncertainty reduction actions facilitated self-disclosure in all three societies.

The ‘Net’ Effect in Politics The ‘Stop the Overlay’ Campaign in Los Angeles

New information and communication technologies (ICTs), particularly the Internet, can facilitate the rapid exchange of information that is essential to coordinating political activity. This case study examines a cyber-advocacy campaign in which the Internet was employed effectively to impact public policy and regulatory change in US telecommunications. The Internet facilitated collective action not only by altering the costs of communication but also by reshaping access in ways that enabled the campaign to reconfigure the networks of communication among key political actors and an otherwise fragmented group of citizens. However, the dilution of these outcomes over time raises further questions about the longevity of such virtual cyber-advocacy networks.

Globalization and people’s interest in foreign affairs: A comparative survey in Hong Kong and Taipei

Globalization signifies the increasing interconnectedness among different parts of the world. But few studies have examined whether and how the processes of globalization relate to people’s interests in foreign affairs. This study tackles the question at the individual level. It identifies transnational social connections, willingness to move abroad, foreign language abilities, and perceived impact of globalization as four factors representing people’s connections with and orientations toward the processes of globalization. These four factors are hypothesized as correlates of people’s interest in foreign affairs. Analysis of a comparative survey (N = 1117) conducted in Hong Kong and Taipei generally supports the hypotheses, but the results also show that social contexts may shape the strengths of the relationships among different factors. The analysis also explores the problematic of causality. The results suggest that some, but not all, aspects of individuals’ connections with globalization can influence interest in foreign affairs.

Using the Web in the democratic process. The Web-orchestrated ‘Stop the Overlay’ cyber-campaign

In the 1996 US Presidential elections, new information and communication technologies (ICTs), particularly the Internet and World Wide Web (Web), began to play a visible role in US campaigns and elections, and its role has expanded to shape the political process more generally. Case studies have shown how the Web, for example, can facilitate the rapid exchange of information that is essential to coordinating political activity. By virtue of reducing the costs of communication, it has become accessible to grassroots organisations without the resources to mount more traditional media campaigns. This study looks in-depth at one campaign – Stop the Overlay – which employed the Internet and Web to effect public policy and regulatory change locally, but with implications for California and the US. Our study led us to employ the framework of an ecology of games to discuss the interplay among the separate but interdependent decisions and games that shaped the campaign. The case shows how this Web-orchestrated campaign was one element that reconfigured the ecology of games in ways that influenced policy decisions. It accomplished this not only by altering the costs of communication, but by reshaping access and thereby changing the networks of communication among political actors.