Technology use among Indigenous adolescents in remote regions of Australia

Twenty-four Indigenous adolescents (mean age 16.4 years) attending a boarding school in a remote region of Western Australia participated in individual structured interviews that queried current patterns of use for each of: (1) television, (2) video games, (3) computers, (4) the Internet, and (5) mo...

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Main Author: Johnson, Genevieve
Format: Journal Article
Published: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group 2013
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/46394
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author Johnson, Genevieve
author_facet Johnson, Genevieve
author_sort Johnson, Genevieve
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Twenty-four Indigenous adolescents (mean age 16.4 years) attending a boarding school in a remote region of Western Australia participated in individual structured interviews that queried current patterns of use for each of: (1) television, (2) video games, (3) computers, (4) the Internet, and (5) mobile phones. Results suggest that television, video games and computers play a relatively minor role in the lives of participating adolescents. However, the Internet and particularly mobile phones were frequently used. Mobile phones were used by participating Indigenous adolescents in ways consistent with their collective culture (e.g. communicate with family and friends) but also similar to adolescents generally (e.g. to send text messages and access the Internet). When presented with the hypothetical option of using only one small screen technology, Indigenous adolescents overwhelmingly selected a mobile phone. The reasoning for such a preference emphasised the importance of communication and the global functionality of the device (e.g. Internet connectivity). The rapid uptake mobile phones by Indigenous adolescents may point the way to improved educational opportunities, specifically, m-learning.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-463942017-09-13T13:39:36Z Technology use among Indigenous adolescents in remote regions of Australia Johnson, Genevieve Twenty-four Indigenous adolescents (mean age 16.4 years) attending a boarding school in a remote region of Western Australia participated in individual structured interviews that queried current patterns of use for each of: (1) television, (2) video games, (3) computers, (4) the Internet, and (5) mobile phones. Results suggest that television, video games and computers play a relatively minor role in the lives of participating adolescents. However, the Internet and particularly mobile phones were frequently used. Mobile phones were used by participating Indigenous adolescents in ways consistent with their collective culture (e.g. communicate with family and friends) but also similar to adolescents generally (e.g. to send text messages and access the Internet). When presented with the hypothetical option of using only one small screen technology, Indigenous adolescents overwhelmingly selected a mobile phone. The reasoning for such a preference emphasised the importance of communication and the global functionality of the device (e.g. Internet connectivity). The rapid uptake mobile phones by Indigenous adolescents may point the way to improved educational opportunities, specifically, m-learning. 2013 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/46394 10.1080/02673843.2013.823553 Routledge Taylor & Francis Group restricted
spellingShingle Johnson, Genevieve
Technology use among Indigenous adolescents in remote regions of Australia
title Technology use among Indigenous adolescents in remote regions of Australia
title_full Technology use among Indigenous adolescents in remote regions of Australia
title_fullStr Technology use among Indigenous adolescents in remote regions of Australia
title_full_unstemmed Technology use among Indigenous adolescents in remote regions of Australia
title_short Technology use among Indigenous adolescents in remote regions of Australia
title_sort technology use among indigenous adolescents in remote regions of australia
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/46394