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Exploring adolescents' views of the impact of computer-mediated communication (CMC) on their lives

Thesis (MEdPsych (Educational Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009.

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Main Author: Verrijdt, Andrew
Other Authors: Louw, Charmaine
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch 2009
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access_status_str Open Access
author Verrijdt, Andrew
author2 Louw, Charmaine
author_browse Louw, Charmaine
Verrijdt, Andrew
author_facet Louw, Charmaine
Verrijdt, Andrew
author_sort Verrijdt, Andrew
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv University of Stellenbosch
description Thesis (MEdPsych (Educational Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009.
format Thesis
id oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/1901
institution Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
language English
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:45:29.584Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
publishDate 2009
publishDateRange 2009
publishDateSort 2009
publisher Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
publisherStr Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
record_format dspace
source_str SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
spelling oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/1901 Exploring adolescents' views of the impact of computer-mediated communication (CMC) on their lives Verrijdt, Andrew Louw, Charmaine Collair, Lynette University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Educational Psychology. Computer-mediated communication Adolescence Internet Qualitative Dissertations -- Educational psychology Theses -- Educational psychology Adolescents -- Effect of technological innovation on -- South Africa -- Cape Town Adolescents -- South Africa -- Cape Town -- Attitudes Telematics -- Testing Thesis (MEdPsych (Educational Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) refers to any form of communication that can only be achieved through the use of a computer. This includes such diverse means as e-mail, MXit, Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. Many of these forms of communication have become extremely popular within the past few years. Research internationally has shown that adolescents rapidly adopt new technologies, but there is very little research on how this process is impacting South African adolescents. This leaves parents, educators and academics without adequate information about the advantages and dangers of adolescent CMC use. The aim of the study was to investigate the views of adolescents around the topic of CMC. The central research question related to adolescents‟ views of the impact of CMC on their lives. Sub questions related to the reasons behind the popularity of CMC, the advantages of CMC use, the effect of CMC use on language, schoolwork and relationships, the dangers of using CMC and the use of CMC for bullying. The study was of qualitative design and was guided by a constructivist theoretical framework. A qualitative design was chosen because it was felt that qualitative methodology is most suited to investigating the subjective experiences of participants, and thus answering the research questions. Two focus groups participated and three semi-structured interviews were conducted with grade 11 learners from a Cape Town private school. Focus groups were used because this was felt to be an effective means to gather the opinions of multiple participants at once. Individual interviews were used as a means to supplement the focus groups and thus increase the trustworthiness of the study. A semi-structured approach was chosen for the interviews because this allowed the researcher to probe specific areas of interest and thus gather further data on these areas. The focus groups and interviews were audio recorded and the recordings transcribed. Content analysis was performed on the transcriptions. After several rounds of coding, the codes that occurred most often within and across the focus groups and interviews formed the basis for thematic analysis. Several central themes around CMC use emerged from this analysis. The most central of these related to the importance the participants placed on ease of use, and the speed at which CMC can satisfy their desires. Further issues related to how CMC can have both positive and negative effects on relationships and the various dangers of CMC use. Something that recurred throughout the analysis was the idea that a CMC can, in a sense, form a semi-permeable barrier between users. These barriers allow a user to control their communications with others, typically allowing users to express whatever they wish to express while restricting possible negative effects of their communication. A model of adolescent CMC use was created that was based on these findings. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Rekenaar-bemiddelde kommunikasie (Computer-Mediated Communication of CMC) verwys na enige vorm van kommunikasie wat slegs met behulp van rekenaargebruik kan plaasvind. Dit omvat „n verskeidenheid metodes soos e-pos, MXit, Facebook, MySpace en Twitter. Vele sulke kommunikasiemiddele het oor die afgelope aantal jare uiters gewild geraak. Navorsing op internasionale vlak het getoon dat nuwe tegnologie snel deur adolessente aangeneem word, maar weinig navorsing is nog onderneem oor hoedanige impak hierdie proses op Suid-Afrikaanse adolessente het. Dit beteken dat ouers, opvoeders en akademici onvoldoende inligting oor die voordele en gevare van adolessente se gebruik van rekenaar-bemiddelde kommunikasie het. Die doel van die studie was om die uitkyk van adolessente in verband met die gebruik van rekenaar-bemiddelde kommunikasie te ondersoek. Die sentrale navorsingsvraagstuk het verband gehou met adolessente se opinies oor die impak van rekenaar-bemiddelde kommunikasie op hul lewens. Ondergeskikte vrae het verband gehou met redes vir die gewildheid van rekenaar-bemiddelde kommunikasie, die voordele van die gebruik daarvan, die effek van rekenaar-bemiddelde kommunikasie op taalgebruik, skoolwerk en verhoudings, die gevare van die gebruik van rekenaar-bemiddelde kommunikasie en die gebruik daarvan om ander te treiter. Die studie het van „n kwalitatiewe ontwerp gebruik gemaak en het binne „n konstruktiwistiese teoretiese raamwerk plaasgevind. Die kwalitatiewe ontwerp is gekies omdat die kwalitatiewe metodologie as die mees geskikte metodologie vir die ondersoek van subjektiewe ervarings van deelnemers, en dus vir die beantwoording van die navorsingsvrae, beskou is. Twee fokusgroepe het aan die ondersoek deelgeneem en drie semigestruktureerde onderhoude is met graad 11 leerders van „n private skool in Kaapstad gevoer. Fokusgroepe is gebruik omdat dit as „n doeltreffende metode vir die onmiddellike verkryging van die menings van „n verskeidenheid deelnemers beskou is. Indiwiduele onderhoude is gevoer om die fokusgroepe aan te vul en die betroubaarheid van die studie te verhoog. „n Semi-gestruktureerde benadering is vir die onderhoude gekies omdat dit die navorser in staat gestel het om areas van spesifieke belang meer deurdringend te ondersoek en daardeur verdere inligting oor hierdie areas in te samel. Die fokusgroepe en onderhoude is op band opgeneem en die opnames is getranskribeer. Inhoudsontleding van die transkripsies is uitgevoer. Na verskeie rondtes kodering, is die kodes wat met die grootste reëlmaat binne en oor die fokusgroepe en onderhoude heen voorgekom het, as basis vir tematiese ontleding gebruik. Verskeie sentrale temas rondom die gebruik van rekenaar-bemiddelde kommunikasie het uit hierdie ontleding na vore gekom. Die mees sentrale hiervan het verband gehou met die belangrikheid van gebruiksgemak vir deelnemers en die snelheid waarmee rekenaar-bemiddelde kommunikasie verlangens tevrede stel. Verdere kwessies het verband gehou met hoe rekenaar-bemiddelde kommunikasie „n positiewe sowel as „n negatiewe effek op verhoudings kan hê en met die onderskeie gevare van die gebruik van rekenaar-bemiddelde kommunikasie. „n Idee wat by herhaling gedurende die ontleding na vore getree het, was dat rekenaar-bemiddelde kommunikasie op „n manier „n semi-deurdringbare versperring tussen gebruikers daarvan vorm. Hierdie versperring laat die gebruiker toe om beheer oor kommunikasie met ander uit te oefen; dit laat tipies toe dat gebruikers uitdrukking gee aan enigiets wat hulle wil oordra terwyl dit terselfdertyd moontlik is om „n moontlike negatiewe uitwerking van die kommunikasie te bekamp. „n Model van adolessente se gebruik van rekenaar-bemiddelde kommunikasie is op die grondslag van hierdie bevindings gesk Masters 2009-11-11T10:51:44Z 2010-06-01T08:35:57Z 2009-11-11T10:51:44Z 2010-06-01T08:35:57Z 2009-12 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/1901 en University of Stellenbosch application/pdf Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
spellingShingle Computer-mediated communication
Adolescence
Internet
Qualitative
Dissertations -- Educational psychology
Theses -- Educational psychology
Adolescents -- Effect of technological innovation on -- South Africa -- Cape Town
Adolescents -- South Africa -- Cape Town -- Attitudes
Telematics -- Testing
Verrijdt, Andrew
Exploring adolescents' views of the impact of computer-mediated communication (CMC) on their lives
title Exploring adolescents' views of the impact of computer-mediated communication (CMC) on their lives
title_full Exploring adolescents' views of the impact of computer-mediated communication (CMC) on their lives
title_fullStr Exploring adolescents' views of the impact of computer-mediated communication (CMC) on their lives
title_full_unstemmed Exploring adolescents' views of the impact of computer-mediated communication (CMC) on their lives
title_short Exploring adolescents' views of the impact of computer-mediated communication (CMC) on their lives
title_sort exploring adolescents views of the impact of computer mediated communication cmc on their lives
topic Computer-mediated communication
Adolescence
Internet
Qualitative
Dissertations -- Educational psychology
Theses -- Educational psychology
Adolescents -- Effect of technological innovation on -- South Africa -- Cape Town
Adolescents -- South Africa -- Cape Town -- Attitudes
Telematics -- Testing
url http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/1901
work_keys_str_mv AT verrijdtandrew exploringadolescentsviewsoftheimpactofcomputermediatedcommunicationcmcontheirlives