Year: 2006
Type: dissertation
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to understand how the young Shanghainese use the Internet in the??, the Internet café; the demographic determinants that are associated with the use; and the motives and habitsrelated to using the Internet café as an access point to the Internet. The central questions were: "Within the Internet café environment, how do the café users use the Internet and what are the motivations behind the Internetuse?" and "How do the state, the culture and the society influence the Internet and the Internet café use, and what are the implications of that use on the state, the culture and the society?" The study was conducted using a multiple case study approach. The empirical data was collected with a survey questionnaire and participatory observation. The main results of this study indicate that the main motivation behind the Internet café use was entertainment and that the Internet use in the cafes was ritualistic, habitual and pleasure-seeking. For the urban youth culture, the Internet cafes provided a space where the youngsters could reinforce their identities as trendy, technology-savvy urbanites. The government and the public concerns were reflected in the phenomenon as the Internet cafes have been accused of eroding public morality.
Author: Petra Räisänen
Language: English
Subfield: General Social Sciences
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1814027006