Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
2.1 Introduction
One of the essential aspects of a research study is the review of the related
literature. Best (1983) said “The search for related literature is one of the first steps in
the research process. It is a valuable guide for defining the problem, recognizing its
significance, suggesting data gathering devices, appropriate study design and source
of data.” It shares with the reader the results of other studies that are closely related to
the study being reported (Fraenkel & Wallen, 1990).
39
Review of literature gives us the relevant material published in the problem
area under study. The researcher went through the books, journals, dissertations,
theses, research abstracts and educational websites to know more about research done
in this area. The studies conducted during the last few decades in the field of Attitude
and Usage towards Internet Chatting that are more relevant and pertinent to the
present investigation are discussed in this chapter.
Iorliam and Ode (2014) aimed at investigating the impact of Social Network
Usage on University Students Academic Performance using Benue State University
Makurdi, Nigeria as a case study. The study adopted a survey design. Using simple
random sampling technique a sample consisted of 1596 students were selected for the
study. The study focused on three key impact areas: the time spent on social media,
the frequency of visiting social media and the relationship between the volume of
social friends and a student‟s academic performance. Correlation and regression
analyses were used to determine and measure the extent to which the three variables
were related to students‟ CGPA. The study adopted a paper-based close-ended
40
questionnaire and was restricted to undergraduate students in three majors. It is found
that majority of them (95%) were active users of 3 or more social sites. 25.2% of the
respondents indicated they spent less than one hour per day, 16.2% of them indicated
they spent between one to two hours per day using social media and 47% of the
respondents revealed that they were always active. The study found that the time
spent on social media, the frequency of visit and the total number of online friends has
a statistically significant relationship with a student‟s academic performance.
41
basis of the greater self-focus and reduced presence of the other in text-based chat,
strangers who chatted online for 20 min about a divisive social issue on which they
held opposing attitudes showed less movement toward their partner‟s position as a
result than did those who spoke face-to-face for the same length of time.
Sponcil and Gitimu (2013) examined social media use among college students
and how it affects communication with others, and college students' self-concept. A
convenient and stratified sampling method was used to acquire the participants
consisted of 96 undergraduate college students attending a mid western university in
the US. In this study, students completed a questionnaire which assessed personal use
of social media, communication skills with friends and family, and effects on self-
concept. Descriptive statistics and frequencies were used to conduct the analysis.
Results indicated that all of the sampled college students were using at least one form
of social networking website. There was a .586 Pearson correlation between usage of
social media and communication with family and friends. There was a .658 Pearson
correlation between usage social media and self-concept. These findings provide
implications for future research on why these social networking sites have gained
popularity.
42
VanDoorn and Eklund (2013) explored the issue of student perceptions of the
use of Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) by assessing the perceived social-
interactional and learning benefits of Facebook chat. Although Facebook has several
functions- among others, wall posts and news updates-the synchronous text-based
CMC was of particular interest in this study. Twenty students volunteered to
participate in the study. At the end of the semester, students who had used Facebook
to communicate with the lecturer were provided with a questionnaire. The data from
the questionnaires was analysed using both quantitative and qualitative measures.
Students who made contact with the lecturer via Facebook, all selected “chat” as
particularly useful. To this end then, CMC was perceived favourably by distance and
day students as actively scaffolding their learning. The synchronous communication
provided distinct benefits, including overcoming or neutralising distance.
Synchronised communication-social-media chat-was generally perceived positively
by students. A quickly answered question allowed students to spend more time
completing their assignment. Further, they formulated questions and answers in
writing. The immediacy of the response and the irrelevance of distance, along with
anonymity, all helped the students in completing the unit.
43
Twitter, and Hi5 than males. Moreover, females tended more to use SNSs to maintain
their friendship than did males.
Sinn and Syn (2013) studied personal documentation on a social network site:
facebook. Using an online survey, this study investigates how facebook content
presents users themselves and their everyday stories, whether they perceive their
activities of using facebook as personal documentation, and what factors influence
such activities. The final sample size was 503. The data were analyzed using mean,
SD, factor analysis, correlation and regression analysis. The findings of this study
show the current status of facebook usage. Facebook content indeed indicates
information of self-presentation and personal documentation of everyday lives of
users. Attitudes about and activeness on facebook are the major factors that influence
self-presentation and personal documentation activities on facebook. Generic external
factors, such as personal archiving in general, do not show strong associations with
personal documentation activities as factors. Based on this understanding, researchers
discuss the roles of information professionals and cultural heritage institutions in
dealing with a new type of personal record on the Web.
44
proficiency, enhanced learners‟ social skills and help learners to communicate in new
ways with new people.
Saw, Abbott, Donaghey, and McDonald (2012) studied social media for
international students: it's not all about facebook. In 2010 there were 335 273
international students enrolled in higher education in Australia. To support these
students during their study, libraries need to find ways to communicate and engage
with them. The international students‟ preferred methods for learning about library
services was through library web pages and personal contact with library staff. In
order to investigate international students‟ social media preferences, librarians at
Bond decided to survey the current student body to ask them about their social
networking choices and usage. The survey was advertised via a global student email,
the Library website, the Library and Computing Facebook page, and the digital
signage on campus. The survey remained open for three weeks and 575 completed
responses were gathered. The data collected was exported and analyzed using
Microsoft Excel 2010. Data collection and analysis was divided into three sections:
45
Demographics, Social networking usage and Education usage of social networking. It
is found that the gender balance of respondents was heavily weighted towards
females, at 68%. Seventy-six per cent of the survey respondents indicated they were
under 25 years of age. Sixty-nine per cent of the respondents were domestic students
while 31% were international. Facebook was the most popular social network
platform for both domestic and international students. The majority of respondents
from all countries are using Facebook several times a day. Also the survey revealed
that over 60% of the respondents use Facebook for sharing information and over 50%
for finding out information. And 91% of the respondents use Facebook for
educational purposes.
46
students‟ experiences. Conversely, results also indicate that students limited their
participation to course-related and graded activities, exhibiting little use of social
networking and sharing. Additionally, learners needed support in managing the
expanded amount of information available to them and devised strategies and
“workarounds” to manage their time and participation.
47
media, such as Facebook, reveals a need, and provides a basis, for developing
educational programs to address online professionalism. Educators and administrators
at veterinary schools may use this information to assist in developing veterinary
curricula that addresses the escalating issue of online professionalism.
Boswell (2012) studied Academic entitlement attitudes and their relationships
with course self-efficacy, social networking, and demographic variables. This study
investigated differences in university students‟ academic entitlement (AE) by
demographic group (sex, college class, college generational status) as well as AE‟s
relationship with self-efficacy for college coursework and social networking. It also
investigated predictors of AE in first-generation (FG) students and continuing-
generation (CG) students. Participants were 313 undergraduates at a south central
U.S. university. Participants completed a questionnaire to gather information about
demographic variables and AE was measured using the academic entitlement scale.
Also the participants rated their degree of daily social network use using a 7-point,
Likert-type scale. The data were analyzed using ANOVA and bivariate correlations
between AE and study variable. Multiple regression analyses were used to investigate
the viability of course self-efficacy, social network use, sex, and college
classification. Males reported significantly greater AE than females. No differences in
AE were found by college class or generational status. AE was significantly
correlated with college course self-efficacy and social network use. College course
self-efficacy, sex, and social network use predicted AE in CG students; however, in
FG students, AE was predicted by college course self-efficacy alone.
Lim and Meier (2011) studied International students‟ use of social network
services in the new culture: a case study with Korean youths in the United States. In
the United States, international students, especially from Asia, have reportedly
experienced difficulty adjusting to their new life and culture. Little research has been
done to understand the role of social network service (SNS)s, including instant
messaging, blogs, chatting websites, and email on these students. Korean students are
the largest international student group in the United States and were selected for the
qualitative case study. For the data collection, the participants were interviewed
individually. Results showed that the participants used SNSs in various ways for
their emotional well-being and for academic purposes. Internet messaging was
preferred to other communication tools by most of the participants.
48
Lampe, Wohn, Vitak, Ellison and Wash (2011) examined how undergraduate
students use the social network site Facebook to engage in classroom-related
collaborative activities (e.g., arranging study groups, learning about course processes)
to show how Facebook may be used as an informal tool that students use to organize
their classroom experiences, and explore the factors that predict type of use. Data
from two surveys (N=302, N=214) are used to analyze how Facebook use, social and
psychological factors, self-efficacy, and types of instruct or student communication on
Facebook are related to positive and negative collaboration among students. The data
were analyzed using the statistical techniques mean, SD, factor analysis and
regression analysis. They found that predictors of Facebook use for class organizing
behaviors include self-efficacy and perceived motivation to communicate with others
using the site. When placed in the context of social and psychological factors,
Facebook intensity did not predict either positive or negative collaboration,
suggesting that how students used the site, rather than how often they used the tool or
how important they felt it was, affected their propensity to collaborate.
Cinta, Juan, Mar and Mercè (2011) investigated university students‟ attitudes
towards and expectations of the educational use of social networks. In the last few
years, social networks have revolutionized the way in which many people relate to
each other, but their use is still very limited in the academic field. When they are
used, the experiences tend to be very isolated and lacking in continuity. In this
context, and by means of a questionnaire, the objective is to bring an element of
reflection on students‟ attitudes towards the use of social networks in general, and
their use and potential in an educational context in particular. The aim is to compel
students to think about these attitudes as a vital first step in getting them to accept and
realize the educational potential of social networks. The tool used for the research
project was a self-administered questionnaire, given to a sample of 115 respondents.
For significance testing, the ANOVA test and for relationships between various
values, the Pearson correlation coefficient were used. The study revealed that students
had positive attitudes as users of social networks. The values for awareness and use of
some of them were particularly high, indicating that there is an obvious absence of
any particular mistrust that would stop the students from using them. However for the
students, there was an obvious absence of any negative attitude towards the
educational use of social networks. It is also true to say that the students did not show
49
themselves to be particularly enthusiastic about the educational use of social
networks, and that is directly connected with the fact that they had never used them in
an academic context.
50
formation through engagement in and contribution to networked practices. While
current literature describes the possible benefits of online participation, empirical
research on scholars' use of online social networks in the educational technology
literature is negligible. The purpose of this study is to understand scholars' naturalistic
practices in social networks in general, and on Twitter in particular. Tweets from 45
scholars were analysed qualitatively to arrive at dominant themes describing online
social network practice. Findings indicate that scholars participating on Twitter (1)
shared information, resources, and media relating to their professional practice; (2)
shared information about their classroom and their students; (3) requested assistance
from and offered suggestions to others; (4) engaged in social commentary; (5)
engaged in digital identity and impression management; (6) sought to network and
make connections with others; and (7) highlighted their participation in online
networks other than Twitter. These findings assist the field in understanding the
emerging practice of scholarly participation in online networks.
51
media. Regression analyses were utilized to test the association between intentions to
use social media and performance expectancy, effort expectancy and social influence
while controlling for age and work experience. Findings revealed that health
educators most commonly used social networking sites and media sharing sites within
their organizations. Social influence and performance expectancy were both positively
associated with increased behavioral intentions to use social media for health
promotion. Reasons for lack of use included employers monitoring or blocking social
media, difficulty of use among older health educators, and the belief that social media
would not enhance job performance. Many health educators are using social media
and intentions to use in practice are associated with social influence and performance
expectancy.
Newman, Laulerbach, Munson, Resnick and Morris (2011) studied the topic
“It's not that I don't have problems, I'm just not putting them on facebook”: challenges
and opportunities in using online social networks for health. To understand why and
how people share health information online, they interviewed fourteen people with
significant health concerns who participate in both online health communities and
Facebook. Qualitative analysis of these interviews highlighted the ways that people
think about with whom and how to share different types of information as they pursue
social goals related to their personal health, including emotional support, motivation,
accountability, and advice. The study suggests that success in these goals depends on
how well they develop their social networks and how effectively they communicate
within those networks. Effective communication is made more challenging by the
need to strike a balance between sharing information related to specific needs and the
desire to manage self-presentation.
Zhang (2011) explored college students' use of social networking sites for
health and wellness information and their perceptions of this use. Thirty-eight college
students were interviewed. The interview transcripts were analyzed using the
qualitative content analysis method. Those who had experience using social
networking sites for health information used the platform mainly to check health
updates of a loved one, find lifestyle information and ask about treatments for mild
conditions. Overall, participants were sceptical about the quality of information,
concerned about the lack of medical knowledge of their friends or peers and wary
about possible social risks and invasion of privacy. Based on the results, a model of
52
users' acceptance of social networking sites for health and wellness information was
proposed and implications for designing social platforms to better support health
inquiries were discussed. Using social networking sites for health and wellness
information is not a popular behaviour among college students in this study and social
networking sites seem not to be a well-perceived platform for health and wellness
information.
Ames, Janet Go, Kaye and Spasojevic (2010) explored the practices around
video chat for a family as a whole. The researchers done the field study of 22
economically and culturally diverse families in the San Francisco Bay Area. They
explored the benefits of video chat for families and the corresponding work that home
users engage in to make a video call run smoothly. Also they explored the varieties of
social work required, including coordination work, presentation work, behavioural
work, and scaffolding work, as well as the technical work necessary. They outlined
the benefits families enjoy for doing this work and discuss the ways in which families
use video chat to reinforce their identity as a family and reinforce their family values,
in effect making – as in creating – love.
53
higher percentage of female students were also enrolled in Honors and AP classes
than males. All students who completed the survey admitted to having a membership
on one or more social networking websites. The results of the survey also show that
students visit these sites at least once per day. Females were more likely than males to
participate in social networking, but were also more likely to have higher grades and
take more rigorous classes.
Ahn (2010) examined the effects of social network sites on youth social and
academic development. First, the researcher provides a critical analysis of the extant
research literature surrounding social network sites and youth. Researcher merge
scholarly thought in the areas of Internet studies, digital divides, social capital theory,
psychological well-being, identity development, academic engagement, and
educational technology to understand how researchers might examine new social
technologies and youth. Second, the researcher examines the question of digital
divide, or whether particular teenage populations do not have access to online social
networks. Using a nationally representative dataset from the Pew Internet & American
Life study, the researcher explore whether there are disparities in teenage access to
social network sites. Third, researcher report a cluster-randomized trial that was
designed to explore whether social network sites have a beneficial impact when used
in high school classrooms. A total of 50 classrooms, and nearly 1,400 students were
randomly assigned to use an experimental social network site.
Morris, Teevan and Panovich (2010) explored the phenomenon of using social
network status messages to ask questions. The researchers conducted a survey of 624
people, asking them to share the questions they have asked and answered of their
online social networks. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, chi-square
test and correlation analysis. Researchers present detailed data on the frequency of
this type of question asking, the types of questions asked, and respondents‟
motivations for asking their social networks rather than using more traditional search
tools like Web search engines. The study report on the perceived speed and quality of
the answers received, as well as what motivates people to respond to questions seen in
their friends‟ Status messages. The survey found that many people are turning to
social networking tools for information needs, even though such tools were designed
to facilitate social connectedness and awareness rather than information-seeking. The
54
researchers then discuss the implications of our findings for the design of next-
generation search tools.
Cheung, Pui-Yee Chiu and Lee (2010) explored the factors that drive people
to use online social networks (e.g., Facebook). Also they conceptualize the use of
online social networks as intentional social action and examined the relative impact of
social influence and social presence on We-Intention to use online social networks.
Facebook (http://www.facebook.com), an online social networking site, was used in
this study to examine intentional social actions in online social networks. An
invitation message with the URL to the online questionnaire was posted on a number
of online social groups of Facebook. Partial Least Square (PLS) was used to test the
hypotheses. An empirical study of Facebook users (n=182) find that We-Intention to
use online social networks is strongly determined by social presence. These social
networking sites give everyone a place to share their personal stories, in words,
pictures, and videos with their friends. They also connect people with friends and
others who work, study, and live around them. Online social networks not only
provide a place for people who have similar interests to join together and
55
communicate, but also provide a lot of business opportunities to the online advertising
and promotion industry.
56
analysis of the data revealed that the learners who underwent the chat room treatment
significantly outperformed those who did not in terms of oral fluency. Hence, using
chat rooms in the EFL context can be recommended as an efficient technique in
improving this attribute among EFL learners.
Huang, Harboe, Tullio, Novak, Massey, Metcalf and Romano (2009) made a
field study of communication choices and practices in television-based text and voice
chat. Social television applications have emerged as a potentially valuable
convergence of media and communication, but questions remain about the utility and
nature of the communication experiences they will provide. In the study of STV3, the
researchers presented an application that adds free form text and voice chat
capabilities to the conventional television viewing experience. They conducted an in-
depth field study of STV3 to understand how friends integrate communication
through social television into their lives. The results reveal users‟ choices of
communication modality, their topics of conversation, and the sense of connectedness
that was fostered through their use of STV3. The findings indicate that participants
overwhelmingly preferred text chat to voice chat, and that they often communicated
about topics unrelated to the television content.
57
used media preferences to express their identity. Implications of social networking
site use for the development of identity and peer relationships are discussed.
Valenzuela, Park, and Kee (2009) examined if Facebook, one of the most
popular social network sites among college students in the U.S., is related to attitudes
and behaviours that enhance individuals' social capital. Using data from a random
web survey of college students across Texas (n = 2,603), we find positive
relationships between intensity of Facebook use and students' life satisfaction, social
58
trust, civic engagement, and political participation. For the analysis of socio-
demographic variables descriptive statistics were used and in order to test whether
there was a relationship between intensity of using Facebook and each social capital
variable, hierarchical multivariate ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions were used.
While these findings should ease the concerns of those who fear that Facebook has
mostly negative effects on young adults, the positive and significant associations
between Facebook variables and social capital were small, suggesting that online
social networks are not the most effective solution for youth disengagement from
civic duty and democracy.
John and Jennifer (2008) conducted a study to evaluate: (a) why people use
these friend-networking sites, (b) what the characteristics are of the typical college
user, and (c) what uses and gratifications are met by using these sites. One hundred
sixteen students from a 4-year public, East Coast university were recruited to
participate in this study on student Internet usage, with no mention made of friend-
networking sites. Upon arriving to the study, participants were given a two-part
packet to complete. Descriptive statistics, Univariate ANOVA, chi-square and finally
MANOVA were used for analysing the data. Results indicated that the vast majority
of college students are using these friend-networking sites for a significant portion of
their day for reasons such as making new friends and locating old friends.
Additionally, both men and women of traditional college age are equally engaging in
59
this form of online communication with this result holding true for nearly all ethnic
groups. Finally, results showed that many uses and gratifications are met by users
(e.g., “keeping in touch with friends”).
Bakker, Sloep, and Jochems (2007) studied students and instant messaging: a
survey of current use and demands for higher education. The researchers wanted to
gain insights in how students currently use IM and what opportunities they themselves
see for the medium. To that end they conducted a survey and a sample of 781 students
at the Fontys University of Applied Sciences in The Netherlands were answered the
online survey. The questionnaire was based on questions on IM use. To analyse the
data statistically, frequency, percentage and correlation analysis were used. The
survey shows that 96% of all respondents used IM. A large majority of the
participating students indicated using IM for their studies. Also, when asked about
their demands for a possible educational implementation, the majority were positive.
Wood (2007) examined how college students use Instant Messenger (IM).
Specifically, the present study explored if college students use IM to supplement
traditional behaviors associated with academic and social integration. Data were
collected from emailed IM conversations, log sheets submitted by the participants,
and answers to IM survey questions. The results of the analysis of these data were
compared to Gatz‟s (1998) lists of traditional behaviors associated with academic and
60
social integration. Results seem to suggest that college students use Instant Messaging
for primarily social purposes. When students engage socially through IM, it is most
often used to connect or stay connected with friends. Interestingly, the majority of the
friends college students are Instant Messaging are fellow students from their home
institution. When students do use IM for academic purposes, it is most often used to
set up project meeting times or ask questions about a class.
Ellison, Steinfield, and Lampe (2007) examined the relationship between use
of Facebook, a popular online social network site, and the formation and maintenance
of social capital. In addition to assessing bonding and bridging social capital, we
explore a dimension of social capital that assesses one‟s ability to stay connected with
members of a previously inhabited community, which we call maintained social
capital. Regression analyses conducted on results from an online survey of
undergraduate students (N = 286) suggest a strong association between use of
Facebook and the three types of social capital, with the strongest relationship being to
bridging social capital. In addition, Facebook usage was found to interact with
measures of psychological well-being, suggesting that it might provide greater
benefits for users experiencing low self-esteem and low life satisfaction.
Lampe, Ellison and Steinfield (2006) explored whether the students are using
Facebook to find new people in their offline communities or to learn more about
people they initially meet offline. The data collected from a sample of 1085 students
were statistically analyzed using descriptive analysis. The data suggest that users are
largely employing Facebook to learn more about people they meet offline, and are
less likely to use the site to initiate new connections. Respondents indicated they felt
their Facebook profiles represented them accurately and positively. Users may assume
that others are engaging in the same types of behaviours they report in themselves,
namely searching for information about their offline connections.
61
social networks, social demographic factors and religion/spirituality in midlife men
and women‟s quality of life in both Australia and Taiwan. The results of this study
suggest that culture involves multiple functions and interacts with attitudes, social
networks and individual factors to influence a person‟s quality of life. Significant
relationships were found between the interaction between cultural circumstances and
a person‟s internal and external factors. The research found that good social support
networks and a healthy optimistic disposition may significantly enhance midlife men
and women‟s quality of life. The study indicated that there is a significant relationship
between culture, attitude, social networks and quality of life in midlife Australian and
Taiwanese men and women. People who had higher levels of horizontal individualism
and collectivism, positive attitudes and better social support had better psychological,
social, physical and environmental health, while it emerged that vertical individualists
with competitive characteristics would experience a lower quality of life.
62
eight participants filled out an on-line questionnaire set, designed to investigate the
personality traits and the prevailing interpersonal values of those participants who set
up interpersonal relationships on-line. The Web research showed that, if sampling
control and validity assessment were provided, it could be a valid alternative to a
more traditional paper-based procedure. The results highlighted that Chat users were
not a homogenous group, but were composed of different personality types.
Hu, Wood, Smith and Westbrook (2004) explored the relationship between the
amount of Instant Messenger (IM) use and the level of perceived intimacy between
friends. Participants in the study were 138 college students at a large university in the
northeastern United States. The researchers administered surveys in teams of two to
help maintain consistent count in heavy traffic areas. The survey contained measures
for the amount of IM use (actual use and idle time on the program) and IM use
location. Descriptive statistics, factor analysis and Regression analysis were used for
the analysis of data. Cronbach's alpha was used to confirm a strong relationship
between intimacy factors. Results reveal that in the sample of 138 participants, 89%
acknowledged that they use IM. Also the results showed the amount of IM use was
positively associated not only with verbal intimacy, but also with affective and social
intimacy. Findings are consistent with the relationship liberated perspective of
computer-mediated communication, and suggest that IM promotes rather than hinders
intimacy. Moreover, frequent conversation via IM actually encourages the desire to
meet face-to-face. Theoretical as well as practical implications of the results for
geographically remote friends and families are discussed.
63
activities, and several demographic characteristics. Results indicated that e-mail,
instant messaging, and online chat rooms share five general uses: task-related, social-
related, offline, online, and long distance. Results also indicated that e-mail, instant
messaging, and online chat rooms share some motives, but this study found that there
were unique motives reported for each of the three forms of CMC: convenience for e-
mail, companionship and anonymity for instant messaging, and chat room benefits for
online chat rooms. Finally, this study found that psychological, social, and
demographic antecedents have an effect on college students‟ use of e-mail, instant
messaging, and online chat rooms.
Spencer and Hiltz (2003) studied the use of synchronous chat in online
courses. Data were collected from 29 course sections, for which instructors were
interviewed, students were surveyed online to investigate their perceptions of the use
of chat in online courses, and university records were used to determine grade
distributions. Data were analyzed with the help of statistical techniques, mean,
standard deviation and ANOVA. The percentage of students participating in
scheduled chat sessions varied from 5% to 50% and many of the instructors report
problems with organizing the sessions as well as ideas about how to do it better "next
time." Instructors were nevertheless generally positive about the potential usefulness
of synchronous sessions in terms of their ability to bring the students closer to the
instructor. They report some small success in their first chat session and the
experience leads to better facilitation in subsequent sessions. Students significantly
find chat more „Rewarding‟ and less „Complex‟ in classes that scheduled sessions two
or more times than students in asynchronous- only classes.
64
and other consumer behaviors, and which factors lead to a successful chatting
experience? The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test chi-square test and
correlational analysis. The findings show that non-English users (LGG) in our sample
were more likely to be in current chatting. The results also indicate that incomplete e-
mail addresses play a role in enhancing active chatting. The findings provide some
insight into how consumers market themselves in cyberspace and the effectiveness of
their "personal advertisements" in attracting other chatters. The results suggest that
individuals actively chatting are more likely to want to talk with a person who was
already known to them (e.g., friends and family members) than with users in a waiting
list. If chatters want to talk with acquainted individuals, their friends or family
members are likely to already know each other's e-mail address. These in-groups may
not want to be interrupted by unknown persons. A related finding is that chatters who
specify the same ethnic group were more likely to chat than were those who did not
specify and ethnic group.
Peris, Gimeno, Pinazo, Ortet, Carrero, Sanchiz and Ibanez (2002) conducted
an exploratory study to get some insight into cyberelations examining
sociodemographic and personality profiles of online chatters. A specific
questionnaire, Online Interpersonal Relationships Questionnaire (Inter.red), was
devised for the purpose of this research. This questionnaire includes both quantitative
and open response qualitative variables. It explores the attributes of face to face
personal and social relationships by asking details about motivations, use habits,
aspects ruling cyber relations and group self-perception. Several chat rooms were
used to collect a sample as varied and numerous as possible. Once data were
collected, descriptive exploratory and differential analysis techniques were applied on
the specified variables of the Inter.red. Data obtained have outlined the socio
demographic and personality profile of internet users who engage in online chats as
well as group self-perception, chatters‟ use habits, motivations to interact online, and
the chatters‟ network of virtual and face-to-face relationships. Results suggest that
relationships developed online are healthy and a complement to face-to-face
relationships. These data are confirmed by personality studies.
Suguri, et al. (2002) examined the pedagogical uses of web based chat. Many
educators around the world are making extensive use of computers and the Internet to
enhance teaching and learning. The three main objectives of this study are to test the
65
use of a simple web -based chat tool in collaborative educational projects, to identify
effective strategies for integrating the use of Internet chat into Brazilian Curricula and
to learn what impacts, if any, that Internet chat may have on teaching and learning and
in carrying out interdisciplinary and collaborative projects. Students from the Jacob
K. Neto School of Novo Hamburgo, Rio Grande do Sul, the most southern state of
Brazil, met in a chat room with students from Antônio Canela State School of Montes
Claros, state of Minas Gerais, a state in the center of Brazil. The focus of this chat was
to allow students to explore the differences and similarities between the two regions
of Brazil where the students lived. Also online seminars and interviews were
conducted to discuss other important topics such as the negative impact of early
pregnancy on young women. Without using Internet chat, these experts would not
have been able to collaborate with these students on this topic. Also, it is likely that in
a face-to-face meeting, the discussion of this topic would not have been as open as it
was with Internet chat. The study also showed that both teachers and students quickly
learn to use the chat tools and greatly enjoy the dynamic discussions that occur.
Xie (2002) explored the feasibility of using Internet Relay Chat (IRC) to
facilitate Chinese language teaching and learning. This article describes procedures
for organizing and conducting chat sessions and discusses the benefits and problems
of using IRC. The participants in the study described here were 27 students who, at
the time, were enrolled in their third year of Chinese language instruction at the
University of California, Davis. It is argued that IRC promotes communication in the
target language and that it enhances students‟ reading and writing skills. However,
some general problems such as keyboarding skills as well as some special difficulties
with typing Chinese characters exist.
Leung (2001) analysed the motives of college student for chatting on ICQ.
Results from a random sample of 576 college students show that relaxation,
entertainment and fashion are instrumental motives for ICQ (`I seek you') use while
inclusion, affection, sociability and escape are the intrinsic motives. Students who are
heavy users of ICQ are motivated by affection and sociability whilst light users are
motivated by fashion. Use of emails and ownership of cellular phones seem to be
significant predictors of ICQ use. Students who spend longer time on ICQ sessions
also play online games more often for entertainment, live in dormitories, have a lower
household income, and do not subscribe to any ISP service at home. Female ICQ
66
users tend to chat longer and more frequently for reasons of sociability while males
spend less time on each session for entertainment and relaxation. The findings suggest
that ICQ is a technology that facilitates social relations and is a major source of
entertainment for college students.
Smith, Farnham and Drucker (2000) studied the social life of small graphical
chat spaces. This paper provides a unique quantitative analysis of the social dynamics
of three chat rooms in the Microsoft V- Chat graphical chat system. Survey and
behavioural data were used to study user experience and activity. 150 V- Chat
participants completed a web-based survey, and data logs were collected from three
V-Chat rooms over the course of 119 days. This data illustrates the usage patterns of
graphical chat systems, and highlights the ways physical proxemics are translated into
social interactions in online environments. V-Chat participants actively used gestures,
avatars, and movement as part of their social interactions. Analyses of clustering
patterns and movement data show that avatars were used to provide nonverbal cues
similar to those found in face-to-face interactions. However, use of some graphical
features, in particular gestures, declined as users became more experienced with the
system. These findings have implications for the design and study of online
interactive environments.
67
2.2.2 Studies Related to Internet Chatting and Other Social Networking – India
Chawla (2014) tried to identify the positive as well as negative aspects of the
use of Social networking sites (SNSs) among college students of Karnal district.
Social networking using habits of the students of 4 colleges (2 Govt. aided & 2 self-
financing) were studied. A descriptive survey method was used for data collection
with the help of a self-structured & administered questionnaire on a sample of 200.
The statistical techniques mean, SD, t-test, percentage and correlation were used for
the analysis and interpretation of the data. The results revealed that the students of
urban areas are savvier with social networking usage in comparison to the rural.
Students are spending on an 1-3 average hours on internet and the most popular social
networking sites in terms of profiles in order of preference is facebook, orkut, twitter
and linkedin etc. In the order of preference, students mostly socialize on social
networking sites firstly with friends, secondly with relatives and then with teachers.
Findings of the study indicates that there is no significant difference between the
social networking habits of Govt. aided and self-financing college students as now a
days everyone is using internet in routine for every kind of information whether
social, personal, educational or professional. Furthermore, social networking using
habits of undergraduate and post-graduate students differ.
Kasturi and Vardhan (2014) examined the key issues and new challenges of
the social media with the help of a filed study in Nalgonda district of Andhra Pradesh.
The main objectives of the study were to seek the opinion of audience of social media
on various aspects, to discuss the key challenges posed by social media, the major
roles played by social media and to discuss the significances of social media. In this
research study, survey method has been used to collect the data. Opinions of a total of
54 participants, an equal representation of men and women aged below 35 years has
been considered for the study. Percentage, frequency and graphs were used to analyze
the data. This study and its embedded data analysis find that the social media has a
tremendous upshot on the masses of all three geographic levels; and on both male and
female participants. From the study, it is evident that both boys and girls accept the
fact that social media is highly ubiquitous in nature. Irrespective of the geographic
area and their sex, all the respondents are of the opinion that the life without social
media cannot be thought of, due to its high interactivity. All the participants agreed
that social media enabled them to connect with friends and relatives, staying at distant
68
places. Almost all the respondents agreed that social media plays communicative role,
collaborative role, role of education, role of engagement, role of monitoring, role of
maximising and role of enjoying. all the respondents agreed that social media is fast
emerging as a powerful and unparalleled tool to share information, shape opinions,
connect people across domains and cultures, bring participation, and above all to
communicate as never before.
Mahat and Mundhe (2014) conducted a research on youths between age group
of 12-30 years with a view to knowing the level of consciousness on the community
issues and how far social networking sites get up the today‟s youth in expressing their
views on present and burning issues like corruption, human rights, education etc.
Total sample size taken is 400 respondents. It was an investigative study and tools
used were tables, graphs, bar charts, Cross tables. It is found that the age group (12-
21) that is teenagers and young teenagers uses SNS for entertainment, communication
and for sharing personal profile over the net and the age group (22+) that is adults and
working adults uses SNS for corruption.
69
interpersonal relationships. It also focuses on analysing the level of interpersonal
relationships. For the said purpose a survey has been conducted among 500 students
in various colleges and universities throughout India. The findings of the study
acknowledge the rampant usage of SNS among young college students in India.
According to the present study 80 percent of the students spend significant amount of
time on using SNS regularly. The majority of the Indian students (62.6 %) spent 1-10
hours per week on using SNS. In general, according to the data male students use
SNS more than female students. Among the total users of SNS 71 percent of the users
are male. 48% stated that they use SNS to maintain existing friends/relationships.
Above 95% responses were of the positive opinion that social networking sites act as
platform for reconnecting with lost friends, maintaining existing
networks/relationships and sharing knowledge, ideas and opinions. The main purpose
of usage of SNS for the respondents was for messaging and chatting.
Kumar, A. and Kumar, R. (2013) attempted to study the activities and reasons
for using Social Networking Sites by the Post Graduate students and research scholars
of Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak, India. A self structured questionnaire was
distributed among the target population with a sample of 150 respondents. The
70
primary data gathered through questionnaire were analysed and discussed in
accordance with the objectives of the study. To evaluate the responses simple
percentage method was used. It was found that 58% of respondents were male and
42% of respondents were female and 76.67% of respondents were between the age
group of 20-30 years. The main purpose of using SNSs were found entertainment by
92.66% of the respondents followed by sharing videos and pictures, instant message
and find Information. An important finding of this study was that the use of SNSs is
time consuming. The majority of the respondents (47.33%) believed that information
on SNSs is reliable. The study also reveals that Facebook is the most popular SNSs
among the all categories of students and research scholars.
71
network more than female students. The study also proposed some required actions
for the marketers to avail the opportunity in competitive market.
Mahajan, Singh and Kumar (2013) aimed to study the purpose of using social
networking sites (SNSs) among the research scholars of Panjab University (PU),
Chandigarh and Kurukshetra University (KU), Kurukshetra in India. The study was
conducted through a questionnaire administered to the research scholars in two
universities in India. The questionnaire was distributed among the randomly selected
research scholars of the two universities in India. It is observed that the majority of
the research scholars from both the universities is aware of the SNSs and have their
accounts on them. Facebook is the most popularly accessed SNS both in PU (83 per
cent) and KU (77 per cent) followed by Orkut (46 per cent) in PU and Research Gate
(38 per cent) at KU. The majority of the research scholars who use SNSs for various
purposes from both the universities are in the age group of 20-30 years. 46 per cent of
the researchers surveyed from PU do not have any publications and only 5 per cent
have more than ten publications so far, whereas 54 per cent research scholars do not
have any publications to their credit in KU.
Lal and Aggarwal (2013) tried to find out the effectiveness of social media
sites in the process of recruitment. The role of social media sites in making or
breaking the next job opportunity. Empirical study used for studying the effectiveness
of social media. The research methodology used includes primary data, secondary
data and statistical tools like Hypothesis testing and correlation. The study aims at
testing the popularity & effectiveness of the social media sites on one hand and also
finding out the reliability & trustworthiness of these sites on the other hand. The study
revealed that majority of respondents are aware of the social networking sites & there
is very low correlation between age of employment and the awareness about social
networking sites. One interesting indicator was that in current macroeconomic
72
scenario frequency of changing jobs has come down substantially. The study also
revealed that the most popular networking site for seeking employment is Linkedin
because of its large user database and unique features like job highlighter &
specialized email alerts.
Chakraborty (2012) attempted to study the activities and reasons for using
Social Networking Sites (SNS) by the research scholars of North Eastern Hill
University (NEHU). For that the study has covered two social networking sites
namely Facebook and ResearchGate based on popularity and widely used by research
scholars. a self administered questionnaire was distributed among the research
scholars of NEHU. And the primary data gathered through questionnaire were
analyzed and discussed in accordance with the objective of the study. Here it is found
that most of the scholars from social science background use SNS from education and
research point of view; on the contrary scholars from pure science think that SNS has
no role on research and education. They use SNS just for entertainment.
Jain and Gupta (2012) conducted a research on youths between age group of
18-30 years with a view to know the level of awareness on the social issues and how
far social networking sites awakened the today‟s youth in expressing their views on
current and burning issues like corruption, human rights, girl education etc. Study was
conducted on 100 people mostly through email or sending link of questionnaire on
various social sites. It was a exploratory study and tools used were tables, graphs, pie
charts, ANOVA, Cross tables using IBM SPSS 19.0. It was found that these social
networking sites are acting as great medium for view mobilization. People are feeling
free in sharing their thoughts on any issue and even youth is raising their voice against
social acts like violation of Human Rights, corruption etc. These social networking
73
sites are proving themselves a boon at least in bringing thoughts of people on these
social issues. ANOVA results shows that youth were more vibrant while discussing
the social issues during the social networking sites usages but they are not coming
forward in concrete way to resolve the issues.
Keskar (2012) examined the incidence & impact of Social Networking upon
the college going students. The data collected through a questionnaire that was
administered to a sample of 60 students of a college in pune city. Result shows that
youngsters are enjoying Social Networking sites. Face book is more popular than
Books. More use of Social Networking sites can become addiction while reading
books can develop and groom personality. The study concluded that Social
Networking made required to be regulated both in quality content & quantity of its
use.
Singh and Gill (2012) attempted to determine the use and effectiveness of web
2.0 based applications such as wiki, blogs, RSS, SNSs, IMs, etc in education and
research by the research scholars. The study conducted through a structured
questionnaire administrated among the research scholars pursuing their research at
GND University Amritsar. The study finds that majority of the respondents were
found to be aware and making use of such applications in their research affairs and it
was revealed from the study that Facebbok is the most popular SNS by all category of
research scholars.
74
Jain, Verma, A., Verma, R.S. and Tiwar (2012) envisaged on the impact of
Social Network on Education and Training of the students. A survey was
administered to a sample of 128 Post Graduate and Graduate students at Department
of Commerce, Dr. Hari Singh Gour Vishwavidyalaya, a Central University declared
by Government of India. It is found that Graduate students are very fond of using
Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Orkut. Students prefer downloading study material
from internet and are not buying books. They find internet helpful to boost their
confidence for presentation and reports. It is also found that by chatting using
Facebook, Blogs, Twitters, and chatting online result in increase of the English
communication. The inferiority complex of talking and writing in English is
decreased. Also it is found that students are preparing working science model using
these websites.
75
Chatting on educational development. The data were analysed using „t‟ test and χ2 -
test. The major findings of study reveal that the college students in Coimbatore
district have good favourable attitude towards Internet Chatting on educational
development and their attitude differed in terms locality of college.
Mohamed and Sumitha (2011) investigated the perception and use of social
networking sites by the students of Calicut University, Kerala. Structured
questionnaires were used to collect data from a representative sample of 150 students.
The study found that a majority of the students were aware of social networking sites
and use these sites for friendly communication. Orkut was the most popular and used
social networking site than Facebook and MySpace. A number of students visited
social networking sites twice a week and always send scraps and meet new friends.
Though the students indicated that lack of security and privacy are the main concerns
of social networking sites, a majority of them used their real names and photos in their
profiles.
76
Science and two Engineering colleges in Coimbatore District. Stratified random
sampling technique has been used for the selection of sample. The investigators
developed a tool themselves to measure attitude towards Internet Chatting on social
development. The data were analysed using „t‟ test and χ2 - test. The major finding
of study reveals that the college students in Coimbatore district have good favourable
attitude towards Internet Chatting on social development.
Chandran (2010) tried to find out the various dimensions in which social
networking sites are used by the student community. Students use social networking
sites for their personal and curricular activities. A descriptive survey method was used
for data collection with the help of a questionnaire on a purposive sample of 100. The
study shows that the social networking sites are an integral part of their social life.
They use it to maintain and strengthen their offline connections and primarily for
77
communication rather than entertainment. The study also points out the popularity of
mobile social networking among the students community.
Kulshreshtha, Kapil and Sumiti (2010) aimed to look at the positive effect that
interaction through social networking sites has on today‟s society in relation to the
modern media concept of greater interaction. Stratified samples of 150 different
persons in Haryana and Punjab were collected to understand the impact of Social
Networking Sites in society. A questionnaire with some closed ended and some open
ended questions. The study revealed that almost everyone believes that Social
Networking Sites have positive impacts on society. Almost 99% people of society in
the age group of 15 to 30 yrs surf internet. Ratio of male and female using internet is
50%-50%. Also the study revealed that Facebook is the most popular Social
networking site preferred by 83% users.
Neelamalar and Chitra (2009) studied the impact of social networking sites on
Indian youth. They identified and assessed issues regarding youth social networking
usage and the resultant impact on their social interactions and social behavior on the
whole. This research employs the method of Qualitative research through quantitative
analysis to gather an in-depth understanding of the behavioral changes caused by the
social networking sites like Orkut on youth and the reasons that govern such behavior.
The research has made use of survey method. Survey was conducted among randomly
selected social networking sites users in India with a sample size of 100 between age
group of 17 to 22 yrs who were school students and college Students. Results
indicated that above 95% responses were of the positive opinion that social
networking sites act as platform for reconnecting with lost friends, maintaining
existing networks/ relationships and sharing knowledge, ideas and opinions. A
majority of the Indian youth are members in one or more social networking sites but
also are low users of such sites and used Internet more for mailing and surfing the net.
78
American students. In particular, Indian students, who are considered being from a
collectivist society, and American students, who are considered being from an
individualist society, exhibited many common communication patterns. When they
did exhibit different communication patterns, Indian students reported communication
behaviours considered significantly more individualist than the American students.
This research suggested that additional cross-cultural research is needed about the
usage of SNWs and other forms of computer-mediated communication.
Suri and Sharma (2013) aimed to understand the relationship between gender
and attitude towards e-learning. Literature shows that gender plays a key role in
understanding the differences in perception towards usefulness of technology and ease
of use but with regards to attitude and perception towards e-learning diverse views
have been presented. The researchers analysed the effect of gender on attitude
towards computer technology and e-learning collectively. They also analysed the
impact of gender on the usage of the basic e-learning forms like
uploading/downloading course content, interactive videos and pod casting. A
questionnaire was developed to collect the necessary data. Scale on Computer and e-
learning attitude (SCAELA) was constructed and validated. In this study 477 students
enrolled in various courses across many departments in Panjab University Chandigarh
79
were analyzed. Descriptive statistics, independent sample t-test and one-way ANOVA
were used to analyze the data. The results showed that no significant relationship
exists between gender and attitude towards computer and e-learning. The usage of
various e-learning forms also showed a non-significant relationship with gender. The
future developments in e-learning can take note of this finding while developing e-
learning tools which are efficient.
Otaibi (2012) investigated the relationship between the attitude towards the
use of the Internet and its cognitive, emotional and behavioural components. The
questionnaire sample was selected randomly from the college students and the final
sample included 216 students with ages ranging from 20 to 31. Descriptive statistical
method and t-test was employed to analyze the data. The most important result of the
study was the attitude that students have towards the positive use of the Internet. The
uses of the Internet involve educational and cultural purposes, leisure and
entertainment as well as purchasing purposes. Besides, there is the existence of
significant differences at the level (0.01) between high and low Internet users in the
general attitude towards the Internet in favor of the high users of the Internet.
Chongtham and Ratan (2012) tried to find out the frequency of Internet use,
the preference of place and time for accessing internet and the purpose of using
internet among Assam university students. The sample of the present study is drawn
from PG students, M. Phil and Ph.D. scholars. The sample consisted of 100 students
of different subjects in Assam University, Silchar. Out of 100 students 50 each belong
to male and female category. For selection of sample purposive sampling technique
has been adopted. The self designed questionnaire comprising of 18 items relating to
internet access has been used. Percentages analysis and pie chart were used to analyse
and interpret the data. The result shows that majority of the respondents are using
internet daily and both male and female respondents majority of them are using 2 hour
in a day. Also maximum number of respondents prefers to access at night time.
Because in morning they are busy for learning in their respective discipline. Also the
study shows that maximum numbers of respondents (54%) are use internet for their
study, which is followed by 16% download material, 14% for chatting with friends,
9% to send e-mail, and 7% used for any others. As this study has shown, more
students are relying on the Internet for their academic needs than any other areas.
80
Al Mahmud (2011) investigated the attitude of private university students in
Bangladesh towards internet. Sample selected by the method of random sampling as a
1022 (one thousand twenty two) graduate and postgraduate students. A questionnaire
was designed for analyzing students‟ attitudes towards Internet. Quantitative research
methods, frequencies, t-test, and ANOVA were used in order to investigate the
research problems that affect on internet learning. Results from the study indicated
that students had positive attitudes toward using the Internet as a learning tool,
adequate basic knowledge of the Internet, viewed Internet is a fastest way to reach
knowledge, and Internet has a potential to be an effective training tool. The results
also revealed that the students exhibited positive attitudes toward the Internet
irrespective of gender, again in contradiction to most other findings.
Amenyedzi, Lartey, and Dzomeku, (2011) assessed the computer and Internet
usage as supplementary educational material to enhance quality education; help
improve educational management and planning; how students use the computers and
internet to facilitate their learning; how teachers in the Tema Senior High Schools use
the computers and Internet to teach and guide students. Stratified sampling method
was used to select students and teachers. Data were subjected to SPSS version 11
analysis using descriptive statistics. The results showed that a significantly high
percentage of respondent teachers (92%) were computer literate and 78% of
respondent students also had basic knowledge in computer. However, less than 15%
of these teachers used the internet as an innovative way of improving teaching and
learning. It was revealed that Internet and computers have helped students to achieve
new things such as finishing assignments, solving problems, learning history of other
countries, improving typing skills, and chatting with friends. There is no clear
interaction between teachers and students through the use of Internet facilities. The
Internet was not used for guidance. Despite the limited use of computers by teachers
in their teaching, many agree that the computer has changed the way students learn.
One fourth of teachers have received some form of training in the use of computers,
with quite minimal training in the pedagogical integration of ICT.
Sujatha (2011) analyzed the patterns of use of Internet among the teachers and
the students of the first grade colleges in Mangalore city. The study also investigated
the level of academic community‟s access to the Internet, reasons for non-use of
Internet, satisfaction with the Internet facilities provided in these institutions as well
81
as the problems faced in the use of Internet. A well structured questionnaire was
distributed among the 390 teachers and students of the five colleges in the Mangalore
city. Out of which 335 questionnaires were received back duly filled in. The response
rate was 85.9 per cent. The data were analyzed using frequency& percentage, mean
and SD. The study revealed that the level of student‟s access to the Internet was low
and the major reason was that at the time of the study, computers with Internet
facilities were inadequate. The findings also revealed that the rate of Internet use was
more among the teachers and students of Commerce and Science faculty as compared
to the faculty of Arts. However, majority of the students expressed their interest in the
use of Internet and its resources and were enthusiastic in improving their skills in the
use of the Internet.
Mahmood (2010) attempted to assess the attitude towards the usage of Internet
services like World Wide Web, email, chatting, etc. This study was based on a
questionnaire survey. The questionnaire was distributed through plagpk listserv. After
two reminders, 227 usable questionnaires were received. The data were analyzed with
the help of mean, SD, „t‟ test and One-Way ANOVA. This study reveals that library
and information professionals working in all types of institutions in Pakistan paid a
warm welcome to the Internet technology. Their attitude was very positive towards
Internet based facilities and services. They found these tools very useful in their
professional and personal work. Most of them had Internet facility at their offices. It
was found that the institution type, gender and age of the research participants had no
effect on the strength of their attitude towards Internet. However, experience,
frequency, level of perceived skills and training in the use of Internet had strong effect
on the extent of participants‟ attitude.
Safdar, Mahmood, and Qutab (2010) investigated the Internet use behaviour
and attitude of intermediate and bachelor's level students of the Leadership colleges
network in Punjab. The questionnaire survey method was used in this study. A total
sample of 800 students (200 each) was selected from all four campuses of the
Leadership Colleges network, i.e., Lahore, Multan, Rawalpandi, and Sailkot. A
convenience sampling method was applied. The data were analyzed using frequency
& percentage, mean and SD. Results of the study reveal that the students were new
Internet users but used it regularly. Most had access to the Internet at home. They
used this technology mostly for communication and educational purposes. A majority
82
of users had no formal training. They preferred to contact their friends or relatives for
solving problems in Internet use. Their attitude towards the tools and services of the
Internet was positive. Users agreed that the Internet was very helpful in meeting their
information and communication requirements swiftly.
Mohammed and Al-Karaki (2008) studied the attitudes of students towards the
integration of the web as a channel of communication and a study tool in traditional
teaching. In particular, the study aims at studying the effect of certain variables such
as gender, major, computer experience, and the percentage of internet usage on the
learning process. A descriptive survey method was carried out with a sample of 502
male and female of the university students. A comprehensive and reliable
questionnaire was designed and distributed to the students' sample. Percentages and
ANOVA were used to analyse the data. Drawing on evidence from lesson
observations, teacher/student interviews and project reports, the researchers examined
the university perspectives and strategies to incorporate use of internet resources and
associated information and communication technology tools into humanities, social,
and scientific studies. The results revealed a low percentage of internet usage in
university education. Also, the results showed that computer experience mainly
affects how internet is used in the learning process. However, there were no
significant differences in the results regarding the gender and major or even the bi- or
tri-interactions between the variables under consideration. The study also showed that
email correspondence and internet search are the most common uses of internet in the
university. Furthermore, the findings support the following assumptions: The Web
cannot substitute entirely for face-to-face learning, but it can serve as a reasonable
alternative when the latter is unavailable.
The review of related literature presented in this chapter included the research
studies conducted in the area of Internet Chatting & other social Networking and the
attitude towards the usage of Internet. The investigator reviewed 100 studies in total,
of those, 60 studies related to Internet Chatting and other Social networking which
have been conducted in abroad and 30 studies in India. Also the investigator reviewed
10 other related studies.
83
The review of related literature indicates that very few researches have been
conducted in abroad and in India on Attitude towards Internet Chatting. In other
countries, Lipinski-Harten and Tafarodi (2013) compared the degree of attitude
moderation produced by online chat with that produced through face-to-face dialogue
and Mahfouz and Ihmeideh (2009) investigated Jordanian university students'
attitudes towards using video and text chat discourse with anonymous native speakers
of English to improve their English proficiency. In India, Augustine and Arulsamy
(2011) studied on Attitude of College Students towards Internet Chatting on personal,
educational and social development.
Many studies have been conducted abroad on the usage of Internet Chatting.
Buhler, Neustaedter and Hillman (2013) investigated on how and why teenagers use
video chat and Ames et al. (2010) explored the practices around video chat for a
family as a whole. Huang et al. (2009) made a field study of communication choices
and practices in television-based text and voice chat. Bakker, Sloep, and Jochems
(2007) studied on students and instant messaging, Wood (2007) examined how
college students use Instant Messenger (IM), Anolli, Villani, and Riva (2005)
investigated on personality of people using chat, Hu et al. (2004) explored the
relationship between the amount of Instant Messenger (IM) use and the level of
perceived intimacy between friends. Recchiuti (2003) explored college students‟ uses
and motives of e-mail, instant messaging, and online chat rooms, Spencer and Hiltz
(2003) studied on use of synchronous chat in online courses, Zinkhan et al. (2003)
studied on web-based chatting: consumer communication in cyberspace and Suguri et
al. (2002) studied on pedagogical uses of web based chat. Peris et al. (2002)
conducted an exploratory study to get some insight into cyberelations examining
socio demographic and personality profiles of online chatters, Xie (2002) explored the
feasibility of using Internet Relay Chat (IRC) to facilitate Chinese language teaching
and learning, Leung (2001) analysed on college student motives for chatting on ICQ,
Lantz (2000) made an empirical study on meetings in a distributed group of experts
comparing face to- face, chat and collaborative virtual environments, Smith et al.
(2000) studied on the social life of small graphical chat spaces.
Many studies have been conducted abroad and few studies in India on the
usage of Social Networking. Eren (2012) and Coe et al. (2012) investigated students‟
attitudes towards use of social networking sites. Sponcil and Gitimu (2013),
84
Pornsakulvanich and Dumrongsiri (2013), Saw et al. (2012), Pimmer, Linxen and
Grohbiel (2012), Lim and Meier (2011), Lampe et al. (2011), Rouis et.al., (2011),
Hanson et al. (2011), Morris., et al. (2010), Cheung, Pui-Yee Chiu and Lee (2010),
Correa et al. (2009), Tiffany Pempek., et.al. (2009) Lampe, Ellison, and Steinfield
(2008), and Ellison, Steinfield, and Lampe (2007) examined usage of social
Networking sites among college students. Zhang (2013) explored college students' use
of social networking sites for health and wellness information, Haas, Schaefer and
Kornienko (2010) investigated the link between individuals‟ health and the
characteristics of their social network positions and Newman et al. (2011) studied on
challenges and opportunities in using online social networks for health. Akbari,
Eghtesad and Simons (2012) studied the expectation of social networks in learning
languages, as well as on their perceived usefulness and Veletsianos and Navarrete
(2012) studied on online social networks as a formal learning environments. Boswell
(2012), Cinta et al. (2011), Flad (2010) investigated on university students‟ attitudes
towards and expectations of the educational use of social networks and Ahn (2010)
examined the effects of social network sites on youth social and academic
development.
Few studies have been conducted in India on the usage of Social Networking.
Chawla (2014) tried to identify the positive as well as negative aspects of the use of
Social networking sites (SNSs) among college students, Kasturi and Vardhan (2014)
examined the key issues and new challenges of the social media, Vijaya Lakshmi,
Krishnatray, and Shrivastava (2014) aimed to evaluate how and why Indian teenagers
engage with social networking sites, and Mahat and Mundhe (2014) conducted a
research on youths between age group of 12-30 years with a view to know the level of
consciousness on the community issues and how far social networking sites get up the
today‟s youth in expressing their views on present and burning issues like corruption,
human rights, education etc. Manjunatha (2013) aimed at presenting usage pattern of
SNS by the Indian college students, Mohamed & Sumitha (2011) and Chandran
(2010) investigated on the usage of social networking sites among the college
students, Nachimuthu (2013) investigated on student teachers‟ attitude towards social
media. Mahmoody (2013) attempted to identify the visiting patterns of students
towards different social networking sites, Adithya Kumari et al. (2013) intended to
identify purposes and most popular SNSs and to address the benefits, problems
85
associated with use of SNSs among dental students, Madhusudhan (2012) explored
how research scholars of University of Delhi integrated Social Networking Sites
(SNSs) into their daily communication for research work. Mishra (2010) attempted to
explore the participatory patterns of youth in social networking sites in India.
Neelamalar and Chitra (2009) studied on the impact of social networking sites on
Indian youth. Marshall et al. (2008) examined cross-national differences in the usage
of social networking websites (SNWs) between university students in India and the
United States.
This study is conducted to assess the attitude towards Internet Chatting and its
usage among college students in India. In this technological era, everyone is engaged
in Internet Chatting and member of one or other social networking sites. Obviously,
college students spend a lot of time chatting on internet. Nobody can restrict them
from doing Internet Chatting. So the only possible way is, to make them aware that,
how useful is this technology for their all round development. Internet Chatting has
several benefits to students, as one can get in to contact with outer world so quickly
and economically, can discuss various issues related to educational, social, political
and even commercial. A student can make use of this technology to take decision
regarding his/her career and also to learn foreign languages. Well-managed and
focused synchronous chat sessions can provide powerful online learning experiences
to students. Also the study tries to make the students to realize that how Internet
Chatting is used for getting social values, good manners etc.
The present study differs from the reviewed studies in many ways. First of all,
there was no study undertaken so far with the variable attitude towards Internet
Chatting on various dimensions such as personal, educational, social, cultural and
emotional development. Few studies have been conducted in relation to usage of
Internet Chatting (Buhler, Neustaedter and Hillman. 2013; Ames et al. (2010); Huang
et al. (2009); Recchiuti (2003))
Secondly, the present study is unique and differs from the rest of the studies in
terms of population and sample.
Finally, there was no study undertaken so far which had combined variables of
usage of Internet Chatting and attitude towards Internet Chatting. Therefore, the
86
present study is the first of its kind in this regard. Hence, the investigator has chosen the
title as Attitude towards Internet Chatting and its Usage among college students for her
research work.
2.5 Conclusion
A detailed review is carried out on Attitude towards Internet Chatting and its
Usage among college students are recorded systematically in this chapter. Based on the
review, the present research title was ensured. The next chapter deals with the
methodology followed by the investigator for the present investigation.
87