Digital inequalities and social media: experiences of young people in Chile
| Pages | 372-384 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/ILS-05-2017-0047 |
| Published date | 10 July 2017 |
| Date | 10 July 2017 |
| Author | Sarah McNicol,Karine Aillerie |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Librarianship/library management,Library & information services |
Digital inequalities and social
media: experiences of young
people in Chile
Sarah McNicol
Education and Social Research Institute, Manchester Metropolitan University,
Crewe, UK, and
Karine Aillerie
National Centre for Pedagogical Documentation, Universite de Poitiers,
Poitiers, France
Abstract
Purpose –This paper aims to report the findingsfrom a survey of secondary school students in Chileby
exploringtheir use of social networking services forinformation-seeking purposes.
Design/methodology/approach –An online survey was distributedvia Chile’s Ministry of Education
and 12,354responses were received.
Findings –The results indicatethat young people in Chile extensively use SNSs, but thereare differences in
the ways in which they use these services, specificallyfor information purposes. When considering school-
related activities, there are differencesin the use of SNSs by students in different types of schools. Those in
academic-focussed institutionsare more likely to use SNSs for school-related information purposes and are
more likelyto publish most types of information on SNSs than their counterpartsin vocational schools.
Research limitations/implications –The sample was self-selecting and excluded students without
online accessto the survey.
Practical implications –The findings indicate more needs to be done in schools serving lower socio-
economic communities to support students’use of SNSs for information-seeking, especially for academic
purposes.
Social implications –The findings suggest that school-associated social capital may have a role in
shaping students’useof SNSs for information and learning purposes and, potentially, in exacerbatingdigital
inequalities.
Originality/value –The focus on the use of social media specificallyfor information-seeking distinguishes
this research. The findings challenge possible assumptions about the links between social media use and
social classand suggest that differences may be exacerbatedby school practices.
Keywords Social capital, Chile, Information-seeking, Social media, Digital divide,
Social networking services
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction
Many commentators have made the case that the internet tends to reinforce social
inequalities rather than act as a leveller (Golding, 1996;Norris, 2001;Wei and Hindman,
2011). While there is no single conception of the term “digital divide”, the majority of
definitions consider some or all of the following themes: attitudes towards technology,
access, skills and types of usage. Historically, basic access was seen as the key measure of
inequality (Benton Foundation,1998;Strover, 1999). Over time, however, interest has moved
away from access concerns to considerskills and the nature of internet use among different
ILS
118,7/8
372
Received30 May 2017
Revised4 July 2017
Accepted4 July 2017
Informationand Learning Science
Vol.118 No. 7/8, 2017
pp. 372-384
© Emerald Publishing Limited
2398-5348
DOI 10.1108/ILS-05-2017-0047
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