AoIR Abstract

Author(s): Andrew Clement, Tracy Kennedy, Ana Viseu, Jane Aspinall

Title: "Everyday Internet(s): Situating Internet Use and Value "

*** Recent media and research reports show that the numbers of people accessing and using the internet is still growing each year. However, current research also indicates that for many users the role and value the internet plays in their lives is unclear. For instance, the Oxford Internet Institute indicates that Britons are unclear about what the internet can offer them, or why they should use it, arguing that many people are not convinced that the internet will benefit them in their everyday lives (Rose 2003). This casts doubt on public policies promoting universal access to internet services. It appears that there is a lack of understanding of the ‘value’ of the internet, or how the internet can make a positive difference in people’s lives in different ways. It is necessary, therefore, to look behind the statistics of widening internet ‘penetration’ to examine what individuals perceive as useful and valuable when using the internet. In this paper, we argue that perceived value, attitude and context of use play a key role in how people use (or do not use) the internet in everyday life. We propose that people choose to use (or not) certain networked services for a wide variety of reasons. Often individual internet choices are based on factors such as their personal life, education or work, and these have an influence over people’s perceived value or benefit of the internet in their lives. This paper is based on data generated in the Everyday Internet Project, a neighborhood-based ethnographic project being conducted in Toronto, Canada, that investigates how and why people integrate online services into their daily lives. Using qualitative fieldwork and in-depth interviews with fourteen individuals, we explore the multiplicity and complexity of factors affecting internet use; how people’s attitude towards the internet shapes use; how in turn use experience shapes attitude; and, more generally, how people understand the internet as valuable (or not) in their everyday world. Research from the Everyday Internet Project reveals there are various factors that influence why people use the internet. For example, in our previous work regarding the interplay between public and private spaces, we found that factors such as the perceived character of space (public/private) and that of the terminal itself, affect the activities of users. There are additional factors as well. Taylor, Zhu, Dekkers & Marshall (2003) identify eight internet usage patterns, which are reflected in our participant’s responses; work, education, entertainment, information search, email, home finances, on-line purchases and community networking all (together and separately) influence how and why people use the internet in their daily lives, creating context of use and value. As the internet becomes increasingly embedded in our everyday lives, people are often forced to use it more, and often not by choice. Attitudes, whether positive, negative and/or neutral to the internet, also have an effect on how people continue to use the internet. Additionally, our research reveals the internet is valuable to people in varied ways. For example, Everyday Internet participants reveal that the internet in their lives often makes a positive difference by adding convenience and ease of communication with friends, family, government organizations, businesses and voluntary organizations. As well, access to resources, self-help and care giving, recreation, job searches, and even saving money on travel arrangements are valuable to our participants. Everyday internet use reflects a fluid and complex relationship between the individual user’s social setting and the internet. Internet use must be contextualized within people's experience because attitudes towards the internet and value of the internet develops along different paths for different people over time; each internet user’s experience is different and unique. Our research illustrates that it is necessary to situate regular internet use within people’s individual daily experiences and lifestyles in order to understand the complex and reflexive relationship between individuals and the internet. Doing so will provide a more detailed understanding of the internet, its uses, its limitations, and ultimately its situational value. We also argue that understanding the intricacies of everyday internet is important to future policy creation. For example, knowing what elements of the internet are useful, beneficial and valuable to people is necessary when considering what services to offer in public internet facilities. Different types of facilities, programs or services maybe needed for diverse populations. This is particularly the case for several of our participants who have rudimentary English skills that affect their capacity to use the internet in ways that are valuable to them. We also note the importance of providing email services in public facilities, which is also valuable because it serves as a way for people to keep connected to their origins, especially given the multicultural diversity of our participants. Moreover, we argue that policy creation and implementation must include and consider the changing nature of services needed by internet users as the internet becomes more embedded in our personal, work and educational lives. Our research confirms that there is not one monolithic internet, but rather internets that may be quite diverse from person to person depending on their needs.

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AoIR 5.0

	*Author(s):* Andrew Clement, Tracy Kennedy, Ana Viseu, Jane Aspinall
	*Title:* "Everyday Internet(s): Situating Internet Use and Value "

***	Recent media and research reports show that the numbers of people accessing and using the internet is still growing each year. However, current research also indicates that for many users the role and value the internet plays in their lives is unclear. For instance, the Oxford Internet Institute indicates that Britons are unclear about what the internet can offer them, or why they should use it, arguing that many people are not convinced that the internet will benefit them in their everyday lives (Rose 2003). This casts doubt on public policies promoting universal access to internet services. It appears that there is a lack of understanding of the ‘value’ of the internet, or how the internet can make a positive difference in people’s lives in different ways. It is necessary, therefore, to look behind the statistics of widening internet ‘penetration’ to examine what individuals perceive as useful and valuable when using the internet. In this paper, we argue that perceived value, attitude and context of use play a key role in how people use (or do not use) the internet in everyday life. We propose that people choose to use (or not) certain networked services for a wide variety of reasons. Often individual internet choices are based on factors such as their personal life, education or work, and these have an influence over people’s perceived value or benefit of the internet in their lives. This paper is based on data generated in the Everyday Internet Project, a neighborhood-based ethnographic project being conducted in Toronto, Canada, that investigates how and why people integrate online services into their daily lives. Using qualitative fieldwork and in-depth interviews with fourteen individuals, we explore the multiplicity and complexity of factors affecting internet use; how people’s attitude towards the internet shapes use; how in turn use experience shapes attitude; and, more generally, how people understand the internet as valuable (or not) in their everyday world. Research from the Everyday Internet Project reveals there are various factors that influence why people use the internet. For example, in our previous work regarding the interplay between public and private spaces, we found that factors such as the perceived character of space (public/private) and that of the terminal itself, affect the activities of users. There are additional factors as well. Taylor, Zhu, Dekkers & Marshall (2003) identify eight internet usage patterns, which are reflected in our participant’s responses; work, education, entertainment, information search, email, home finances, on-line purchases and community networking all (together and separately) influence how and why people use the internet in their daily lives, creating context of use and value. As the internet becomes increasingly embedded in our everyday lives, people are often forced to use it more, and often not by choice. Attitudes, whether positive, negative and/or neutral to the internet, also have an effect on how people continue to use the internet. Additionally, our research reveals the internet is valuable to people in varied ways. For example, Everyday Internet participants reveal that the internet in their lives often makes a positive difference by adding convenience and ease of communication with friends, family, government organizations, businesses and voluntary organizations. As well, access to resources, self-help and care giving, recreation, job searches, and even saving money on travel arrangements are valuable to our participants. Everyday internet use reflects a fluid and complex relationship between the individual user’s social setting and the internet. Internet use must be contextualized within people's experience because attitudes towards the internet and value of the internet develops along different paths for different people over time; each internet user’s experience is different and unique. Our research illustrates that it is necessary to situate regular internet use within people’s individual daily experiences and lifestyles in order to understand the complex and reflexive relationship between individuals and the internet. Doing so will provide a more detailed understanding of the internet, its uses, its limitations, and ultimately its situational value. We also argue that understanding the intricacies of everyday internet is important to future policy creation. For example, knowing what elements of the internet are useful, beneficial and valuable to people is necessary when considering what services to offer in public internet facilities. Different types of facilities, programs or services maybe needed for diverse populations. This is particularly the case for several of our participants who have rudimentary English skills that affect their capacity to use the internet in ways that are valuable to them. We also note the importance of providing email services in public facilities, which is also valuable because it serves as a way for people to keep connected to their origins, especially given the multicultural diversity of our participants. Moreover, we argue that policy creation and implementation must include and consider the changing nature of services needed by internet users as the internet becomes more embedded in our personal, work and educational lives. Our research confirms that there is not one monolithic internet, but rather internets that may be quite diverse from person to person depending on their needs.