Issue |
SHS Web Conf.
Volume 33, 2017
International Conference on Communication and Media: An International Communication Association Regional Conference (i-COME’16)
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Article Number | 00066 | |
Number of page(s) | 7 | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/20173300066 | |
Published online | 02 February 2017 |
Internet use among urban Malaysians: Network diversity effects
1 Taylor’s University, School of Communication, 47500 Subang Jaya, Malaysia
2 Sunway University, Department of Communication and Liberal Arts, 46150 Subang Jaya, Malaysia
* Corresponding author: antoon.derycker@taylors.edu.my
This study examines social network diversity in urban areas relative to residents’ usage of information and communication technologies (ICTs). Individual-level variation in social network diversity was measured using position generator data collected as part of a survey conducted in Malaysia’s Klang Valley (N = 808). Regression analyses were performed to assess the extent to which network diversity is related to ICTs. We find that most ICTs have a negative effect on diversity. Only frequent use of the Internet at work, mobile access to the Internet, and reading online news or blogs contribute positively to diversity. Findings support both a tendency toward ‘networked individualism’ and the more recent ‘glocalization’ thesis that some ICTs may also afford participation within local space rather than only across distant space.
© The Authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2017
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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