Key Findings of Singapore Internet Project

1
Key Findings of Singapore Internet Project

• By
• Alfred Choi, Associate Professor
• Chen Wenli, PhD Candidate
• School of Communication and Information
• Nanyang Technological University

2
Agenda

• General Adult Findings (1999 - 2001, 2003)
• Internet adoption
• Time spent on Internet
• General Student Findings (1999-2001)
• Internet adoption
• Time Spent on Internet
• Internet and Youths The Other Side of Digital
  Divide

3
Internet Adoption -- Overall, at Home at Work
ltamong Adultsgt

• No increase in Internet Adoption 99 to 01
  (46-41). Big increase found in 03 (64)
• More than 80 adult users access Internet at home
  with each year. Home adoption rate increased 99
  to 01, but dropped a bit in 03.
• About 60 adult users access Internet at work.

4
Time Spent on the Internet Overall, at Home at
Work ltamong Adultsgt

• i-Time spent at home work increased over
  years.
• i-Time spent at home more than at work

5
Internet Adoption Overall, at Home at School
ltamong Youthsgt

• I-adoption increased by 10 each year (72, 82,
  92, respectively).
• I-adoption at home increased I-adoption at
  school decreased over years.

6
Time Spent on Internet Overall, at Home at
School ltamong Youthsgt

• Average i-time spent increased over years
• i-Time spent at school decreased, alongside drop
  in adoption rate in school

7
Internet YouthsThe Other Side of Digital
Divide

• Digital Divide between those who are benefiting
  those who are left behind
• Previous studies on digital divide focus on
  Internet access among elderly, less educated
• Digital divide in terms of Internet activities
  among youths were ignored
• Those left behind may be disadvantaged in working
  educational opportunities in the info. Society?

8
Gender vs. Internet Activities among Users

• Top three popular Internet activities of youths
  Entertainment, email, and Info-seek for study
• Girls more likely to exchange email chat
  online Boys more likely to use for entertainment
  seek info for personal reasons
• Adoption of info-seek for personal reasons
  decreased over years for both boys girls.

9
Gender vs. Internet Activities at Home among
Users

• Adoption in each activities at Home mirror the
  Overall
• At Home, Girls more likely to chat online
• Boys more likely to seek info for personal
  reasons.
• No sig. gender diff. in Email

10
Gender vs. Internet Activities at School among
Users

• Adoption of Internet activities at school were
  relatively low remained steady over years.
• Girls more likely to use email chat online at
  school.
• Adoption of email, info-seek for personal reason
  transaction at school decreased.

11
Race vs. Internet Activities among Users

• No significant ethnic diff. in adoption of
  i-activities except transaction

12
Race vs. Internet Activities at Home among Users

• Chinese more likely to use email at home than
  Indians Malays
• Malays Adoption of all i-activities at home
  decreased over years.

13
Race vs. Internet Activities at School ltamong
Usersgt

• Chinese less likely to chat transact online at
  school than M I

14
Housing Status vs. Internet Activities among Users

• Higher housing status more likely to use email

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Housing Status vs. Internet Activitiesat Home
among Users

• Housing status closely related to email,
  entertainment, info seek at home. Higher
  status ? higher adoption
• i-adoption of entertainment at home increased
  while adoption of info seek decreased over years.

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Housing Status vs. Internet Activities at School
ltamong Users?

• Housing linked to adoption of online chat at
  school -- Low status were more likely to chat
  online at school
• Top three activities at school Info seek for
  study, Email Entertainment

17
Family Income Status vs. Internet Activities
Overall ltamong Usersgt

• Youths from more wealthy family were more likely
  to use email.

18
Family Income Status vs. Internet Activities at
Home ltamong Usersgt

• Youths from wealthier families more likely to
  use email seek info
• Decrease in email, online chat, Info seek for
  study, and transaction in low income group

19
Family Income Status vs. Internet Activities at
School ltamong Usersgt

• Family income not sig. related to adoption of
  i-activities at school.
• Low income grp decreased adoption of Email
  info seek for study
• Middle income grp decreased adoption of
  entertainment info seek for study

20
Findings

• Adoption of i-activities among youths -- greatest
  social disparities in economic status.
• Economic disparity significantly linked to info
  seeking behaviors should be a social concern --
  Digital divide among Youths!
• Children from better off families more likely to
  take advantage of Internet that can provide rich
  info Counterparts are disadvantaged in the new
  Information Society

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• The End.
• Thanks!