Review

The major subject of this article is the young Canadians’ use of the Internet. It is a qualitative research that used interviews to ask 35 children and youth aged 7-17 years. The article sumarizes the kids’ answers and gives good information about the young Canadians’ attitude towards Internet access and the utility of the world wide web to them.

First of all it should be known that the Internet access in Canada is increasing. Some families sometimes use the Internet even more than television or radio. Of course Internet can be seen as a bridge between geographical distances. Especially this fact might explain this extremely increase of Internet access in Canada. As I got to know, in the course of PhD. Norm Friesen, the population in this country is pretty spread out. In average the population is 3.3 per square kilometre. Another reason why Internet is getting so big might be because it is supported by the provincial and federal government. For instance a program, called SchoolNet (2005; p.505), was created. Its main aims are to create future employment opportunities for students as well as to enrich education in general in Canada.

Concerning the interviews in detail a very interesting phenomenon came up to me. Youth people are using instant messaging (IM) like the MSN messanger rather than making phone calls or talking to friends face to face. One boy’s statement in the interview was quoted in the article. He thinks it is much easier to argue with somebody over the Internet than in a personal way.
Me, studying education, am wondering if this is an upcoming psychological problem the Internet is bringing with. Can you maybe say that increasing Internet usage is pushing social skills away? This would be a very interesting topic of another research you could make.
Additionally young Canadians are often changing their identities in the web and enjoy being somebody else. Cyberspace is increasing as well and some children even like it more than the „real world“.

As it is written above, Internet is meant to be an educational tool for the young Canadians. But this article shows that the online activities are dominated by playing and downloading music, by instant messaging, by playing and downloading games, by sending and reading emails as well as by surfing websites for fun. Just a few of those 35 interviewed young Canadians are using the Internet really for doing their homework.

Concerning most kids downloading music: Nearly all young Canadians aged 12-16 years were aware of the ethics of downloading music. But as the CRIA (Canadian Recording Industry Association) shows, Canadians between 12 and 24 years old are responsible for 78% of illegal music downloading. (2005; p.515)
So, does it mean that those young people don’t feel guilty and don’t care about the law?
To sumarize all statements concerning this topic I chose a boy called Jeremy to quote here. „’ (...) I’m not loaded so I don’t wanna go and have to buy every single CD for like one song off the CD, you know (...) meanwhile it’s like kind of illegal but like you know who’s gonna know?’“ (2005; p.515)
I think this is a statement parents should be thinking about. Maybe they should get more detailed information about the consequences file-sharing is bringing with. From my own experiences I found out that older people don’t know much about the Internet, its possibilities, its risks and its upcoming problems for users. A very interesting quote I have read in the course „Internet Research Methodology – A Canadian Perspective“: „For the first time in history, children are more comfortable, knowledgeable, and literate than their parents about an innovation central to their society. (...)“ (Tapscott, 1998; p.1-2, – A Canadian!) describes that the all-known myth of the Internet Generation has maybe come true.

Already at the start of the article it describes the parental control on kids using the Internet. The computer is in an area where they can easily check what their children are doing in the Internet and what sites they are visiting. Some families had to figure out certain rules about how long their children can use the Internet. For instance to prevent them to forget doing their homework. In the interview a boy compared the Internet to a drug. „’Internet is addictive. (...) it’s like a guy who does heroin, you know, you get up in the morning and you get into the computer even before your eyes get adjusted... you have a big problem.’“

To me it is not comprehensible what Internet is able to do with its users. On the one hand Internet is bringing really good opportunities and possibilities with it but on the other hand psychological problems in peoples’ behaviours are coming along with new medias as well.
In sum you can say that Internet has become a domestic utility for many families and that the Canadian youth seems to be already a concrete participant in the world wide web.


Concerning the article in general:
This qualitative and interpretive research doesn’t show concrete statistical analyses like a quantitative methodology would do. Such a numerical research would present it more scientific and in my point of view more advantageous for an academic essay. Of course it is giving you a good introduction into the topic itself but 35 interviews are too less to generalize the young Canadians’ usage of the Internet. But I’m aware that this wasn’t the article’s intention.
I just think a combination of both research methods would have been perfect.