Academic literature on the topic 'Internet and teenagers – Cross-cultural studies'

This chapter explores the theoretical and conceptual assumptions underlying the notion of virtual community. Drawing from relevant literature, the author first examines the fundamental properties of the Internet as both technological and cultural artifact and argues that the Internet can embody different technological, functional, and symbolic meanings that will have direct implications for how communities are formed and experienced. Building on that framework, the second part of the chapter focuses on the sociological and psychological bases of community and explores how such conceptions change with the emergence of the Internet. The author concludes that studies of virtual communities must be contextualized according to historical and existing patterns of social life and offers a discussion on new challenges and questions facing mass communications research in this increasingly interdisciplinary area.

The advent of the Internet has facilitated many new forms of communication and thus has laid the foundation for new forms of interaction and social organization. The challenges of gaining insight into the social processes that occur in these newly emerging digital spaces require the development of new research approaches and methodologies. Netnography, or Internet ethnography, is one such example. It focuses on gaining cultural insights from virtual community environments and was originally developed for consumer research in the field of marketing, but has since been used in a number of other fields, including urban planning. This chapter examines the philosophical assumptions and specific methods of netnography as a newly emerging research approach. Findings from a qualitative analysis of ten cases of published netnography studies reveal differences in both philosophical assumptions and uses as a research methodology, including the subject of research – community – and the role of the researcher. The chapter closes with some recommendations and a call for future research.

As global access to the Internet increases, so does the potential for miscommunication in international online interactions (IOIs). Unfortunately, many models for examining cross-cultural communication focus on conventional (offline) interactions or settings. As a result, researchers lack a mechanism for examining how cultural factors could affect online discourse.

Several technological developments have altered our world in the last half-century. Among these were the new information processing and distribution platforms supported by computer-mediated communication (CMC). In 2005, Forrester Research found that 50% of Internet users were non-English speakers, and this number would increase to 66% by 2006. For many designers and Web usability researchers, addressing this situation seem limited to translating Web interfaces or content. Although early studies in usability testing have identified considerable cultural differences among users (D’Andrade, 1984; Evers & Day, 1997), a need exists for a more rigorous investigation from a cross-cultural perspective into how Web sites are designed. The authors hold that the cultural cognitive styles of Web designers ultimately affect the performance and preferences of online users. As a result, specific attention should be paid to the impact of the Web designers’ culturally shaped cognitive style on the design and development of online information.

Japanese mobile Internet-use is unique in that users are more dependent on mobile text messaging as compared to PC-based Internet and mobile voice communication. Previous studies show the following: (1) Age is the most important predictor for mobile text messaging. (2) Mobile text messaging is associated with strong ties in closed networks; on the other hand, some people enjoy anonymous communication with so-called “intimate strangers” in open networks. Mobile Internet use is significantly different from PC-based Internet use in terms of user motivation. (3) Cross-cultural comparison indicates that Japanese people tend to use mobile text messaging, while they are less willing to utilize mobile voice communication. (4) It has been hotly argued whether and how mobile phone use is associated with interpersonal relationships among young people. Some researchers claim that mobile phones facilitate “selective interpersonal relationship” among young people, while others investigate how mobile text messaging is related to social network characteristics.

Acne is a leading player in the spread of skin diseases. Epidemiological studies conducted in industrialised Western countries have estimated the prevalence of acne in adolescents at between 50% and 95%, depending on the method used to calculate the lesions. Acne, a disease that most often befalls teenage faces, occurs in children after the onset of adrenal and gland androgens production and subsides after growth. However, it may continue to manifest itself in a large proportion of adults, especially women. Even after recovery, negative effects such as scars and pigment spots remain. Acne (L.70, eels, ICD-10) is a chronic polymorphic multifactorial inflammatory disease of the sebaceous glands and periglandular tissue that develops mainly in young people. To date, the causes of etiopathogenesis of BX have not been sufficiently investigated. According to ICD-10, the following factors are important in the development of the disease: 1) increase in skin fat production 2) excessive follicular hyperkeratosis; 3) microflora (Propionibacterium acnes) influence 4) inflammation development. Patients suffering from acne have significantly increased skin fat production, which is usually correlated with the severity of the disease. Changes in the physiological state of the seborrhea glands, which is the basis of seborrhea, develop under the influence of neuroendocrine system dysfunction. Hyperplasia and sebaceous gland hyper-secreting occur, the physical and chemical composition of seborrhea changes and its bactericidal properties are reduced. The imbalance of the autonomic nervous system is important, which leads to a temporary or permanent increase in the tone of the vagus innervation of the sebaceous glands and, as a result, hyperproduction of sebum. A number of researchers consider follicular hyperkeratosis to be one of the leading links in the pathogenesis of acne. The aim of the study was to study the chronic toxicity of a gel with an extract of carbon dioxide hops and to determine the effect of the latter on organ changes in laboratory animals. The methodological basis was microbiological, cultural, morphological and biochemical research methods. The duration of observation was 30 days. Both experimental prototypes of gel preparations and placebo were studied in the study groups. The results in the experiments were compared with intact controls. In an animal experiment (laboratory rats), it was found that gels with carbon dioxide hop extract do not exhibit toxic (chronic) effects on the body. Dynamics of the body mass of the individuals studied, blood parameters, including the constituent elements of the blood serum, CNS functioning parameters, structural and functional state of the urine and kidney systems are the objective evidence base for the use of the medicinal substance after the clinical stage of the studies. Based on the results of a pathomorphological study of the internal organs of experimental animals, it was established that the acne gel for long-term use in the studied dose does not affect the relative mass of the internal organs of rats and does not cause morphological and functional changes in them, does not lead to inflammatory reactions, destructive and degenerative processes and necrosis. Thus, the results of this study provide the basis for the treatment of acne with mudflow medications through their prolonged use. It has been determined that the gel does not have toxic effects on the skin and does not lead to negative effects on the internal organs of animals.

Why are some countries successful with e-commerce while others flounder? The purpose of this article is to study the impact of technology, cultural, and socio-economic factors on the global diffusion of e-commerce. While past studies have focused on technology reasons alone, this research includes cultural and socio-economic factors as well. Having access to the Internet does not necessarily translate to e-commerce usage. Fundamentally, culture and socio-economic factors are pivotal in bridging the gap between Internet usage and e-commerce diffusion. The objective is to provide a model that quantifies the aggregated influences of all factors on global e-commerce diffusion. A cross-country regression model analyzes the determinants of e-commerce diffusion and the results used in a cluster analysis to provide further evidence that the propensity for e-commerce depends on the interplay among the different factors. The results can provide firms with an improved understanding of strategies to employ while implementing e-commerce.

This chapter proposes an interdisciplinary field of studies called ‘epithymetics‘ (Latin, ‘pertaining to desire’). It is argued that the concept of desire may have especial relevance as India integrates today into a ‘world economy of desire’. India offers an ideal location for the initiation of such a field since analyses of desire, from Buddhism to Bollywood, have had an impressive pedigree on the subcontinent. The key features of desire as a social psychological construct are delineated. The triangular relationship between the thrills of consumerism, the excitements of the market, and desires both bodily and mental is analysed. Epithymetics may illuminate basic questions about the cognitive foundations of selfhood as it has evolved today in a fast-paced, Internet-guided ‘meme-world’. Studies in neuroscience may be exploited and cross-cultural studies, as well as the micro-analysis of qualitative data would be relevant to augment ‘desire studies’.

The chapter explores the factors influencing the adoption process and the degree of engagement of the social media as part of the online marketing strategy by Spanish retailers. A retail industry survey identifies four different segments of retailers depending on the level of implementation of social media marketing strategies. The study examines the antecedents of the social media tools’ adoption process across the dimensions of a Technology Adoption Model (TAM) and assesses various other factors likely to affect the degree of the adoption. One essential conclusion is that the company size is not important but that the level of adoption social media marketing is related to the organizational maturity in the areas of management attitudes, employee empowerment, access to Internet technologies, and technological infrastructure. The study proposes a future research agenda including cross-cultural studies for better understanding the global business attitudes in this area and underlines the need for development of benchmarks and metrics necessary for better assessing the value of social media marketing.