A qualitative exploration on how Indonesian young people possess their internet skills. A study I conducted in 2013 and was presented at AMIC 22nd annual conference in Yogyakarta, July 2013

1. The Widening Gaps Between
A Qualitative Exploration of How Indonesian Young People
Possess Their Internet Skills
the haves
& the have-nots
Nadia Andayani
Universitas Indonesia
For 22nd Annual Asian Media Information and Communication Center (AMIC) Conference
July 4-7, 2013, Yogyakarta - Indonesia

2. presentation
agenda 1
2
3
background
conceptual framework
methods
4
5
findings
conclusions

3. • Conceptual shift of the digital divides from access to the internet
to the actual use of the internet as a pool of information.
• Indonesian internet users are predominated by young people
with up to 80% of active users (Nielsen, 2011).
• Lack of attention in improving human resources to adapt with the
technology, particularly for young people as they are assumed as
techno-savvy users (Andayani, 2011).
• One of the attempts to cope with digital technology is by adding
ICT subject in the school curriculum.
background

4. conceptual
framework
• Knowledge gap hypothesis (Tichenor,
et. al, 1970), later expanded to
internet-based research (Bonfadelli,
2002, Mason & Hacker, 2003, Wei &
Hindman, 2011)
• Internet/online skills
• Digital inequalities

5. research
objective
To understand youth’s abilities in utilizing
the internet and explore the process of
how they acquired the internet skills

6. What kind of activities?
research
questions
Who are the influencers?
When did they start?
How strong is the influence?

7. research
methods
Qualitative Study
Explorative
In-Depth Interviews
4 Informants
Thematic Analysis

8. meet the
informants
Informant 1: RA,
Male, 23, First
Jobber, SES A
Informant 2: RC,
Male, 20, University
Student, SES C1
Informant 3: ND,
Female, 16, High
School Student,
SES A+
Informant 4: DA,
Female, 19,
University Student,
SES C2

9. findings

10. online
activities
Informant 1:
RA, Male, 23, First
Jobber, SES A
Informant 2: RC,
Male, 20, University
Student, SES C1
Informant 3: ND,
Female, 16, High
School Student,
SES A+
Informant 4: DA,
Female, 19,
University Student,
SES C2
- Social networking
- Copy writer in a
number of websites
- Blogger
- Browsing
- Social networking
- Browsing
- Social networking
- Browsing
- Social networking
- Blogger
- Browsing
- Online business
(video maker)

11. first encounter
with the internet
Informant 1:
RA, Male, 23, First
Jobber, SES A
Informant 2: RC,
Male, 20, University
Student, SES C1
Informant 3: ND,
Female, 16, High
School Student,
SES A+
Informant 4: DA,
Female, 19,
University Student,
SES C2
- 1st grade
- With parents, at
home
- Still supervised &
accompanied by
parents until 6th
grade
- Content: dinosaurs
- 7th grade
- With friends, at
internet kiosk
- Content: porn
- 3rd grade
- With parents and
siblings, at home
- Content: School
assignment
- 9th grade
- With friends, at
internet kiosk
- Content: porn and
email

12. Peers
Parents
(family/siblings)
Online
Materials
Teacher/
Lecturer
(and ICT subject)
key
influencers

13. Peers
“I thank God that I went to UI, and have a bunch of smart
friends who teach me everything I know about the internet.”
-DA, 19, university student
“You are who you are hang-out with, the only thing I knew
from the net until I graduated from high school was porn.
That was what matters from me and my friends back then.”
-RC, 20, university student
➡ Peer-group is the most influential party for almost all informants’ online
activities.
➡ However, for informants with lower SES, it is apparent that the missing of
adult supervision make their online activities are limited to social
networking activities and increasing the possibility of early interaction with
inappropriate materials, such as porn (they usually access the internet from
mobile or internet kiosks).

14. Parents
(family/siblings)
“Well, they really cared about what I was doing on the net.
They trusted me to browse the internet myself when I was on
the 7th grade and the only place I could access it was from
our family PC where everyone can see what I was doing.”
-RA, 23, first jobber
➡ Well-educated parents are already aware of online risks thus put attention
to their kids’ online activities. In most cases, parents are not familiar with the
technology, they are usually responsible in giving access (buying
smartphones, laptop, subscribed to internet services), but not knowing
anything and not directly involved to the activities
➡ Well-educated parents also realized that the internet is a rich access of
information and support their children’s online activities.

15. Online
Materials
“I learnt many things from the internet, especially on video-
making, YouTube really helps!! And I am so happy I’ve got a
number of projects through my blog now.”
-DA, 19, university student
“I know I can learn many things from the internet, but
sometimes it is so difficult because of my poor English. And
Google Translate sometimes made me more confused.”
-RC, 20, university student
➡ All informants realized that the internet could provide any kind of
information they needed.
➡ However, it is apparent that informants with lower SES were struggling to
find good quality information since most of the content on the internet is in
English or other languages.
➡ Informants who are supervised by parents/teachers are more critical in
evaluating content on the internet.

16. Teacher/
Lecturer
“I am sorry, Mbak... but almost all teachers and lecturers I
met.. They’re like dinosaurs.. they knew nothing about it.”
-DA, 19, university student
“I love my ICT teacher, he taught us on how to make blog
and design it. He also introduced me on good sites where I
can learn photography and design.”
-ND, 16, high school student
➡ Teachers/lecturers often told the students to do assignments by using
internet as an information source. But most of them letting the students to
find it by themselves (no supervision at all).
➡ There is a gap between the level of literacy among teachers in schools.
The more expensive the school, the more qualified the teacher, the more
involved they were in students’ online activities.
➡ One of the informants stated that her teacher refused to answer when she
asked where to find information for school assignment, “He said that
young people are always connected and should know more about it.”

17. ICT Subject
“It’s either too easy or too difficult. I can’t believe they had
to teach us how to insert a picture in a word document.. but
at the same time we also had to learn about the computer
code, bla bla bla.. it’s just too difficult and irrelevant.”
-RC, 20, university student
➡ Considered by almost all informants to be not useful, particularly if related
to improving ones’ online skills.
➡ Should be altered to meet the needs of the students.
➡ Facilities/infrastructures are also a huge problem for informants with lower
SES. One of the informants stated that the ICT subject in her school was
conducted per two weeks since they have to take turn with other class.

18. the haves the have-nots
• Have access to good quality
education with facilities and internet
literate teachers
• High familiarity with the technology
from early stage
• People with higher SES and education
level are generally more fluent in
English. Giving them more access to
information in the internet
• Usually come from well-educated
families, thus parents also familiar with
the internet and could supervise the
activities
• Relying mostly on self-learning and peer
influence since the schools only have
limited facilities and human resources.
• No supervision from parents or teachers,
which make them the most prone targets
from online risks (porn, cyber bullying,
etc)
• Struggling to access good quality
information since most of them are in
English or other languages
• Have limited access to the internet (only
access it from mobile phones/internet
kiosks)

19. ➡ Higher level of SES means more access to the facilities
and supervision from adults in online activities.
➡ ICT subject is not considered relevant to improve ones’
online skills. To reduce the gap, it is recommended to
alter the content of the subject.
➡ Teachers/lecturers only have very small influence to the
student’s online activities. Training on internet literacy is
extremely crucial to improve the quality of human
resources, particularly for educators.
➡ The gap of the haves and the have-nots will only
exacerbate if the current condition continues.
conclusions

20. Thank
You
Nadia M. Andayani
Department of Communication
Faculty of Social & Political Sciences
Universitas Indonesia
E-mail: nadia.andayani@gmail.com