ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION

Figure 6: Use of Technological Gadgets

Figure-6 portrays the use of different technological gadgets by the respondents. A majority of 238 respondents use the most advanced and compact technological gadget- the smartphone, that helps in accessing the internet and Social Network Sites (SNSs) with their advanced features and applications. It is one of the smallest gadgets that connect an individual to the world just in a touch. The normal mobile or feature phone is least used compared to the other gadgets shown in the figure-6 above- tablet, laptop, computer and smart-phone. As discussed previously, social interaction, communication or exchanging information are crucial to social capital and its accumulation. The advanced Information &

Communication Technologies (ICT) and the internet play a pivotal role in gaining this and produce new forms for social-interaction and communication processes through the different applications. The young adolescent respondents of the study are a part of the digitalized era hence are the ‘digital natives’ (Prensky 2001). Digital natives have had an increased exposure to technology, which has changed the way they interact and respond to others.

They are socialized digitally more than through the physical beings present around them as

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238 21

COMPUTER LAPTOP TABLET SMART PHONE MOBILE PHONE

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TECHNOLOGICAL GADGETS

NO. OF USERS

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they spend more time over the digital world of hi-tech Information and Communication devices using the Internet. In search of their personal existence, in the society, these digital natives, intentionally or unintentionally turn to the Internet, social media sites through these technological gadgets for an understanding of what is socially acceptable.

Figure 7: Access to Internet at different places

Figure-7 illustrates access to Internet at different places by the respondents. Amongst 255 respondents, maximum of them have access to Internet at school and home where the respondents spend maximum of their time of a day. As pointed by Claudine Beaumont, the former Technology Editor of Daily Telegraph and presently Senior Associate for Communications and Public Affairs at Google, Finland is the first country to make universal minimum Internet access speed a legal requirement. In 2009, Finland's Ministry of Transport and Communications had committed to ensure that every person in Finland can access to the Internet at a minimum speed of one megabit per second from July 2010 and committed rolling out 100 megabits per second broadband connections across the country by 2015. So these young respondents have access to internet on the move. Almost everywhere and anywhere they go, they can stay connected with the outside world, families and friends,

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HOME SCHOOL WORK PLACE COMMUNITY ACTIVITY CENTRES OTHER PLACES

NO. OF USERS

PLACES OF INTERNET USE

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through the different technological gadgets that support Internet and has different social-communicating applications in them.

Figure 8: Internet use Per Day

Figure-8 describes about the extent of Internet use per day by the respondents who are high school students. A majority of 178 respondents use Internet for less than 12 hours. Though 52 is not that huge a number, it is interesting to note that this number of youngsters are always online. It is also astonishing to find that in Finland where universal minimum Internet access speed is a legal requirement there are also a negligible few adolescents who do not use the Internet daily. This is a very interesting finding that can be explored in future, as to how one being a part of this digital native generation can stay away from the ICT in their daily use, when their other friends and peers use them almost rigorously.

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178 7

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ALWAYS ONLINE OVER 12hrs/DAY LESS THAN 12hrs/DAY DO NOT USE DAILY

NO. OF USERS

INTERNET USE PER DAY

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Figure 9: Purpose of Internet Use

Figure-9 projects the purpose of internet use by the respondents. A majority of the respondents have stated that they use internet to contact their friends over families. In the adolescence period, close relationship with peers or friends play a crucial role in socialization. According to Csikszentmihalyi and Larson (1986), adolescents devote greater time and energy to relationships with age mates. Developmental psychologists and social learning theorists have all argued that friend or peer relationships provides cognitive, social and emotional development. Hence, contacting friends through different social networking sites or messengers is one of the purposes that has majority in respect to the other uses of internet. This study also has empirical evidence regarding this as the cross-tabs denote that 93 respondents agreed with the statement “I spend more time over Internet due to longer distance from friends”. Meanwhile, 22 respondents agreed with the statement “I spend more time over Internet due to longer distance from family”. During upper-secondary school education, many adolescents living in the edge areas need to move out from their place of birth and get admitted to a new school. For this, they are distanced away from their old friends and family. Hence, they use the Internet to connect to their family and friends. As the

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figure suggests that respondents also use the Internet for seeking information. This is outside their curriculum (school-work). In this globalized era, through the Internet one can get knowledge almost about any topic. Youngsters can gather information about their social, political or economic etc. situations through the Internet. 124 respondents agreed with the statement “I am aware about my social surroundings/municipality”, which gives a strong evidence for seeking information through the Internet. The second answer to the statement “I spend more time over Internet due to longer distance from family”, had statistically significant difference between the schools. Only 9.1 percent of the respondents of Outokumpu agree whereas it is 17.3 percent for Nurmes, p being 0.04 in this case. Nurmes being further away from Joensuu and Outokumpu being a comparatively bigger town with future studies and job opportunities creates this differentiation.

Figure 10 (a.): Member of Online Social Networking Sites (SNS)

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YES NO

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Figure 10 (b.): Use of Online Social Networking Sites

Figure 10: a.)Member of Online Social Networking Sites (SNS); b.) Use of Online Social Networking Sites

Networks are persistent and beneficial connections that accelerates success for an individual or organization in present times. Relationships or social-ties that grow out of networks are catalyst to success. In order to gain connections one must continuously connect with new people, cultivate emerging relationships and influence one’s network. In this regard, Social Networking Sites (SNS) have a considerable role to play in the contemporary digitalized era.

Figure-10 (a.) indicates that a majority of 214 respondents have accounts or are members of online social networking sites that have become a popular youth culture. Figure- 10 (b.) points out the extent of use of online social networking sites by the respondents. A majority out of 109 respondents have stated that they use their online social networking site accounts at least once in a day. As stated earlier, Social Networking Sites (SNSs) that use the Internet to operate enables to build or form social networks or social relations/ties among people who share similar interests, activities, backgrounds i.e., the bridiging social-ties that help in

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career making. Web-based social networking sites provides instantaneous way to socialize and interact with public. These sites also assist in maintaining the real-life connections that were already built since childhood, i.e., the bonding social capital. For example respondents living away from families and old friends use the SNSs to stay connected to them. There is empirical evidence regarding this from the cross-tabs of this study, 93 respondents agreed with the statement “I spend more time over Internet due to longer distance from friends”.

Meanwhile, 22 respondents agreed with the statement “I spend more time over Internet due to longer distance from family”. These bonding social-ties that provides social and emotional support (Lin 2001) assist in maintaining other existing social ties and connections.

Amongst adolescents, social networking sites is a predominant way for niche networking. It is a way to make new friends or locate people who have similar interests or problems online.

As found from the survey conducted, adolescents like to spend their leisure time with friends. They spend their leisure time mostly over Social Networking Sites (SNSs) to establish positive social identity within a network of friends. This is evident as 107 of the respondents agree to the statement; “Internet is a good means for me to find new friends”.

Statistical difference between schools could not be taken into account, as p is 0.29.

The analysis of bonding gained more popularity with the study of social networking sites.

Social networking sites (SNSs), such as Facebook, are ‘web-based services that allow individuals to (1) construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, (2) articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and (3)view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system’ (boyd and Ellison 2007, p. 211). Due to the convenience, low-entry cost, and easy usage of SNSs (Donath and boyd 2004), these sites seemed more suitable to create, maintain and mobilize bridging rather than bonding.

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