کد مقاله | کد نشریه | سال انتشار | مقاله انگلیسی | نسخه تمام متن |
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355949 | 619453 | 2008 | 11 صفحه PDF | دانلود رایگان |

SummaryMain objectives of this study are to map and compare patterns of Internet use in poor contexts and to enhance the understanding of social gains from Internet access. The term ‘utility gap’ is introduced, defined as a divergence between optimal benefits and real social profit from regular Internet use at a specific site. Internet cafés are the most common venues for accessing the Internet in poor countries, and this research is based on a survey of customers in such cafés in two countries. The selected cities of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and Yogyakarta in Indonesia represent typical poor African and Asian contexts for Internet use, which are worthy of comparing. At both locations, usage frequency tends to increase with higher individual competence and capacities. Type of use is influenced by age and gender, as well as by competence, capacities, and usage frequency. A high percentage of users utilise their Web access for socially gainful activities, and limited time is spent on games and gambling. Use patterns are quite similar in the two cities. However, the utility gap appears to be bigger in the Tanzanian than in the Indonesian context. Indonesians use access to the Web from Internet cafés primarily for instrumental purposes, like seeking information, while Tanzanians spend more resources for online recreation. The paper concludes that education and Internet experience are important for enhanced social gains from public Internet access.
Journal: The International Information & Library Review - Volume 40, Issue 2, June 2008, Pages 129–139