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Research on Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Use Skills and E-Security Approaches of Youth
JOURNAL OF YOUTH RESEARCHES
ICTs which happen to be the transformative force of social change, where especially in-
tellectual technology should have a special attention. In this respect, information society
highlights wider computer and Internet use as well as ICT use skills for youth growing up
with intellectual technology opportunities.
On the other hand, it is also important to emphasize the inequalities in developing skills
of adolescents in contemporary societies. Despite their common attribution of ¨digital na-
tives¨, adolescents are not equal in their access, use, needs and skills. For example, Lee
(2005) found that adolescents’ level of Internet use skills depends on whether their ac-
cess is at home or at school. Previous research on these problems of unequal access and
uneven development of skills are conceptualized as ‘digital divide’, ‘digital gap’ or ‘digital
inequality’ (Hargittai, 2002; Hargittai & Hinnan, 2008; Hargittai, 2010; Livingstone & Hel-
sper, 2007). Digital inequality research includes studies focusing on underlying socio-de-
mographic, economic and cultural factors in the divisions of computer users/non-users
(Sewlyn, 2006), access/lack of access of Internet (Loges & Jung, 2001), etc. (Facer & Fur-
long, 2001). Notably, computer use skills and Internet literacy (Eisenberg, 2010; Liu & Ko,
2016) become important aspects in the inquiry of equality/inequality of ICT access and
use among young people. According to previous studies, literacy and skills are positively
correlated (Livingstone & Helsper, 2007, pp. 5) and these both constitute the main object
of analysis in this study.
In this context, for the analysis of digital inequality, Turkish dataset puts that only 21,6
percent of households have computer, 33,5 percent laptop and 28, 25 percent pads.
However, 97 percent of households have mobile phones, where individuals use these to
access Internet (95 %) (for further information see Table.1.). Accordingly, these findings
may influence the ICT use skills of youth.
Privacy and E-Security Approaches of the Youth
Tapscott suggests that in addition to the advantages that net generation has in terms
of the use of ICT technologies there are also drawbacks. The most important of these
is that young people easily share their personal information in the digital environment,
including social networks, thus creating a risk for their privacy (Tapscott, 1998, pp. 8).
Tapscott emphasizes that even if youth claims that they do not care about privacy issues,
in this technological world this problem may lead to conditions that they may regret in
the future. Accordingly, many studies have been published whether agreeing or disagree-
ing with Tapscott’s argument on youth’s disregard of Internet privacy (Livingstone, 2008;
Moscardelli & Divine, 2007; Park, 2013; Patchin & Hinduja, 2010; Youn, 2009). Tapscott’s
concerns are shared and validated by some researchers (Pater and Valkenburg, 2011;
Kezer et al. 2016). For example, in their research on social media privacy behavior of
Turkish youth, Kezer et al. found that younger people were more willing to share personal
