The Internet in Everyday Life

Abstract

This article reports the findings of an ethnographic study of internet use conducted in Vancouver, Canada. Our goal was to examine how non-professional users interpret, `domesticate' (Silverstone, 1994) and creatively appropriate (Feenberg, 1999) the internet in order to integrate it into the relevance structures and activities of their everyday lives. We identify new cultural practices emerging on this basis and reflect on what these practices mean for the social shaping of the internet as a communication medium. The methods of data collection included ethnographic interviews, and `tours' of the home and computer space of 30 domestic users of the internet in different socio-biographical situations.

Do the rich get digitally richer? Quantity and quality of support for digital engagement

“…Many countries have rolled out digital skills training in public places such as schools, tele-centers libraries, and community centers but this has not been as successful as hoped in tackling digital exclusion. Other research suggests that the everyday social support people have access to when using the Internet is important for being digitally included (Bakardjieva, 2005;Courtois & Verdegem, in press;DiMaggio, Hargittai, Celeste, & Shafer, 2004;Reisdorf, 2011;Van Deursen, Courtois, & Van Dijk, 2014). However, these studies did not set out to look at this support and the effect of networks on people's engagement with the Internet and thus did not have a good set of measures for operationalizing this type of support.…”

“…When it comes to quantity of support, people receive most of their social support from those with whom they are in most frequent contact (Wellman & Wortley, 1990). Bakardjieva (2005) refers to 'warm experts' or close networked relations that have higher levels of Internet skills and who are able to help out users that seek support. People rely on relatives or friends to help them get online or whenever something is unclear (Bakardjieva, 2005).…”

“…Bakardjieva (2005) refers to 'warm experts' or close networked relations that have higher levels of Internet skills and who are able to help out users that seek support. People rely on relatives or friends to help them get online or whenever something is unclear (Bakardjieva, 2005). Field (2005) has shown the importance of social capital, the quantity and quality of support people receive in everyday life, for informal learning and skills acquisition.…”

An Evaluation of DTW Approaches for Whole-of-Body Gesture Recognition

“…However family support for learning how to use this SNS was variable. Bakardjieva (2005) highlights the importance of 'warm experts' who have appropriate knowledge and patience when teaching older people to use the Internet. In this study there were a number of examples of what might be called 'lukewarm experts' within our interviewee's families, i.e.…”

Checking in at the Urban Playground

“…The past few years have witnessed an increased criticism towards the distinction between physical and digital spaces of interaction and several researchers have attuned to the changing conditions by understanding digital space as an integral part of everyday life (see for instance Bakardjieva, 2005;Wellman & Haythornthwaite, 2002). In contrast to the notion of digital space as a separate social realm, current conceptualisations increasingly situate digital space as deeply embedded in everyday life and as a challenge to the contemporary modes of societal organisation in physical space.…”