Revista Română de Sociologie (Feb 2008)
The use of the internet: consumption patterns of adolescents in romania
Abstract
Starting from the theoretical premise according to which Internet users are an active force in the "generative process of technology" and from the results of a larger investigation conducted using both quantitative and qualitative methods, this work deals with the patterns of Internet consumption and use by Romanian adolescents. The study presents data related to the frequency and duration of Internet use by adolescents, data related to the most used Internet applications, as well as data related to the significance of Internet for young people and the self perception of the influence of this new means of communication. The conclusions of the work refer to the impact of Internet on communication - it is "facilitated" by the Internet, as far as adolescents are concerned and, in any case, it is "transformed", "changed" by this new means of communication - on entertainment - Internet is a space that offers various entertainment opportunities which are impossible to offer by other means of communication, such as on-line gaming and downloading - as well as on information - the Internet offers, without any restriction, i.e. allowing for the freedom of choice, information from all fields and related to all preoccupations, including information related to school, universities and professions which can be chosen in life. The work is also a debate on the fact that Internet is almost exclusively characterized in positive terms by adolescents, despite the warning signals given and emphasized by some with respect to the "danger" represented by the Internet. As a conclusion, the work shows that according to the investigated data, young people use the Internet frequently and to a large extent, that it is an integral part of their life and its use is a routine "ritual" without which, for many adolescents, life can't even be conceived.
