Falun Gong and the Internet: Evangelism, Community, and Struggle for Survival

2003 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 277-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark R. Bell ◽  
Taylor C. Boas

In this paper we argue that studying Falun Gong's use of the Internet is essential to understanding the movement as a whole. Falun Gong has made skillful use of the Internet for three of its most important functions. In the area of information distribution, the Internet has become an important vehicle for disseminating Li Hongzhi's teachings. To strengthen the integrity of a globally-dispersed community, it has proven useful for organizing face-to-face gatherings and for online experience sharing. In Falun Gong's struggle for survival as a movement, the Internet has helped practitioners bring pressure against the People's Republic of China (PRC) government, especially at the international level. But Falun Gong's Internet use has not guaranteed success in these tasks. Reliance on the Internet has paved the way for the emergence of a splinter sect and challenges to Li's authority, and the PRC government has effectively countered much of Falun Gong's Internet use within the country.

Author(s):  
S Sargent

In the past decade, the growth of the Internet has been undeniable, affecting the way people communicate, interact, and gather information. According to a Nielsen survey conducted in 2002, more than 400 million people use the Internet demonstrating the swiftness with which this network of computers has changed the way we live and will continue to live. Communication researchers have recognized the importance of studying the Internet as a communication medium (Newhagen & Rafaeli, 1996), but the study of motivations and behaviors associated with Internet use has been limited. Much of the recent research looking at the motivations associated with Internet use has focused on the relationship between personality types and Internet use and usage. Researchers, for example, have found that those who are more satisfied with their outward, social life preferred to use the Internet for more instrumental purposes (i.e., information seeking) whereas those less satisfied with life, especially those who felt less valued in face-to-face interactions, used the Internet as a substitute for social interactions and to pass time (Papacharissi & Rubin, 2000). Similar interactions were found when externally oriented people (who believe their environment controls them, feel powerless) used the Internet for inclusion more than internally oriented people (Flaherty, Pearce, & Rubin, 1998). Several studies have demonstrated negative correlations between a leisure services factor (instant messaging and games) and neuroticism (Swickert, Hittner, Harris, & Herring, 2002) and neuroticism and “gathering product and brand information” and “learning, reference, and education” (Tuten & Bosnjak, 2001). Hamburger and Ben-Artzi’s (2000) study found that those scoring high on extraversion tended to prefer leisure services (sex websites, random surfing) and that those scoring high on neuroticism had a negative association with information services (work-related information, studies-related information.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 342-350
Author(s):  
Suparna Parwodiwiyono

Abstrak: Bagi generasi pasca milenial penggunaan internet sangat akrab tetapi dengan berbagai tujuan penggunaan. Penelitian ini ingin melihat keterkaitan penggunaan internet oleh penduduk yang sedang sekolah untuk kepentingan penyelesaian tugas sekolah di Indonesia untuk mendapatkan hasil belajar yang baik. Analisis berdasarkan data sekunder dari Survei Sosial Ekonomi Nasional tahun 2018. Hanya saja data yang didapatkan tidak simetris dengan adanya pencilan. Regresi kuantil digunakan untuk meminimumkan pengaruh dari pencilan yang ada. Penelitian mendapatkan hasil bahwa terdapat kaitan yang erat antara akses internet dari penduduk yang sedang sekolah dengan penyelesaian tugas sekolah.  Hasil regresi kuantil menunjukkan bahwa proporsi akses internet untuk penyelesaian tugas sekolah berbeda antar golongan proporsi penggunaan internet. Proporsi penggunaan internet yang tinggi akan digunakan untuk penyelesaian tugas sekolah yang lebih tinggi pula. Abstract: For the post millennial generation the use of the internet is very familiar but with various purposes of use. This study wants to look at the relationship between the use of the internet by residents who are currently in school for the sake of completing school work in Indonesia to get good learning outcomes. Analysis based on secondary data from the 2018 National Socio-Economic Survey. It's just that the data obtained is not symmetrical with outliers. Quantile regression is used to minimize the effect of outliers. The study found that there was a close relationship between internet access from residents who were in school and completion of school work. The quantile regression results show that the proportion of internet access for completing school work differs between groups of proportions of internet use. A high proportion of internet use will be used for completing higher school work.


2012 ◽  
pp. 242-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Gozza-Cohen ◽  
Deborah May

This entry examines the use of the internet by individuals with disabilities. Before people with disabilities can use the Internet for socializing, communicating, gathering information, learning, or working, they must first be able to access the Internet. This may require additional assistance by either people or modified hardware and software. Some authors have expressed concern that there is a digital divide, with many people with disabilities not accessing the Internet. The differing needs of people with disabilities, and how their needs may be met with technology and adaptations are explored. Examples of various uses of the Internet by people with disabilities are presented. This field does not have a large research base; it is difficult to do controlled large group studies with such diverse populations, so much of the information comes from position papers, demographic reports, case studies, or exploratory research.


Author(s):  
Christopher McConnell ◽  
Joseph Straubhaar

Digital-inclusion policy in the United States has historically emphasized home broadband access as both its policy priority and goal. Supplying households with broadband access may not do much to improve the ability of individuals to make meaningful use of the Internet, however, since it provides Internet access with little social context beyond the family. Drawing on Bourdieu's concepts of disposition, habitus, and multiple forms of capital, this paper endeavors to situate Internet use in its broader social context and explores the importance of institutional access, Internet use at work or school, in developing the dispositions and competencies needed to use the Internet in instrumental ways, such as applying for educational programs or communicating with governments. Through descriptive statistics, it identifies which segments of a US city lack institutional access, and, using multivariate analysis, it highlights the role institutional access plays in developing these abilities and its role in further inequality.


2008 ◽  
pp. 1806-1821 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Ali

This case study examined the effectiveness and significance of the Internet and interactive video broadcasting as instructional and communication media in a global virtual learning system. The study explored how differences in students’ technology experiences, curriculum, cultures, and access to technology influence learning and student attitude in a technology-based distance education environment. The research also investigated whether the use of online references and materials is adequate and appropriate for successful distance learning. The setting was a virtual campus that linked universities in the U.S., Australia, and Canada with learning centers in different African countries. E-mail and face-to-face interviews, observations, and Web-based surveys were utilized to collect the data. The study reveals that students had mixed perceptions about the effectiveness of technology, with positive attitudes exhibited towards interactive video and some anxiety and dissatisfaction with the use of the Internet.


Author(s):  
M. José Garrido ◽  
Ana Gutiérrez ◽  
Rebeca San José

The Internet is used by firm purchasers as a source of information in procurement. We propose a model of the determinants and consequences of Internet use in this process. We analyzed whether different Internet tools are used throughout all purchasing phases and whether the characteristics of the buying situation determined the use of the Internet in that process. We also proposed to analyze how Internet use in this process impacts companies from two different points of view: organizational and economical. Organizational consequences refer to the buying center structure in terms of size, participation, number of hierarchical levels, and functional areas. Economical consequences refer to purchase results in terms of efficacy and efficiency. Implications for business-to-business marketers and researchers are discussed.


2011 ◽  
pp. 958-974
Author(s):  
Guy Paré ◽  
Jean-Nicolas Malek ◽  
Claude Sicotte ◽  
Marc Lemire

The primary aim of this study is twofold. First, the authors seek to identify the factors that influence members of the general public to conduct Internet searches for health information. Their second intent is to explore the influence such Internet use has on three types of personal empowerment. In the summer of 2007 the authors conducted a household sample survey of a population of Canadian adults. A total of 261 self-administered questionnaires were returned to the researchers. Our findings indicate that use of the Internet as a source of health information is directly related to three main factors: sex, age and the individual’s perceived ability to understand, interpret and use the medical information available online. Further, their results lend support to the notion that using the Internet to search for information about health issues represents a more consumer based and participative approach to health care. This study is one of the first to relate Internet use to various forms of personal empowerment. This area appears to have great potential as a means by which consumers can become more empowered in managing personal health issues.


Author(s):  
Jian-Chuan Zhang ◽  
Ying Qin

Few prior studies have addressed the political impact of the Internet on civic engagement in rural areas. This preliminary study aims to explore the connection between Internet use and civic engagement of rural Internet users. Based on the surveys implemented by the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), the authors find that using the Internet does enhance the level of civic engagement among rural Internet users in China. However, better use of the Internet faces some obstacles, too. They are the young age of rural users and the limited Net bandwidth. Implications of these obstacles are discussed. The chapter concludes that, under certain circumstances, there is great potential for Chinese rural Internet users to become more actively engaged in public affairs in the future.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 39-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Riyad Eid ◽  
Yasser El-Kassrawy

The purpose of this research is to investigate the effects of the Internet use on customer relations and targeting activities. Based on the previous literature, the effect of the Internet on marketing activities has been categorised into four basic dimensions, 1) marketing and customer relations activities, 2) marketing targeting activities, 3) marketing performance, and 4) marketing efficiency. However, few empirical studies have been done regarding customer relations and targeting activities that are affected by the use of the Internet, and the effect of that on marketing efficiency. By studying the practice of 123 UK companies, it has been found that the use of the Internet positively influences customer relations and targeting activities, marketing performance and marketing efficiency.


Author(s):  
Mariusz Duplaga ◽  
Katarzyna Szulc

Introduction: There is strong evidence that people with disabilities suffer from a significant digital divide. However, there are reports indicating that Internet use may result in many benefits for those with disabilities. The aim of the study was to assess the impact that the use of the Internet has on the wellbeing and health behaviours of persons with disabilities. Methods: An analysis was carried out using the dataset obtained from Social Diagnosis, a panel study undertaken on a nationally representative sample. The records of persons with disabilities were retrieved from the dataset which was established in 2015. An analysis of the association between Internet use and the wellbeing, mental health and health behaviours of the respondents was undertaken. The variables reflecting the self-assessment of their own life and experience of loneliness were treated as being indicators of their wellbeing and the prevalence of suicidal thoughts or making use of psychological help as indicators of mental health. The health behaviours analysed in the study included smoking, excessive consumption of alcohol and undertaking physical activity. For all these variables, multivariate logistic regression models were developed. The effect of Internet use was adjusted for sociodemographic variables and the degree of disability. An analysis was performed after applying post-stratification weights available from the Social Diagnosis study. Results: The weighted study group consisted of 2529 people having a mean age of 59.33 ± 16.89 years. The group included 20.71% (N = 524) respondents with a mild, 41.58% (N = 1052) with a moderate, and 26.54% (N = 671) with a severe disability. The proportion of Internet users was 37.07% (N = 937). In all the regression models, Internet use had a significant impact on the dependent variables. After adjustment for sociodemographic variables and the degree of disability, the Internet users more frequently assessed their lives as happy (odds ratio, 95% confidence interval: 1.86, 1.47–2.37) and less frequently experienced loneliness (0.63, 0.49–0.81) or suicidal thoughts (0.47, 0.35–0.65). In addition, they needed psychological help less frequently (0.50, 0.35–0.72). Interestingly, Internet users undertook some form of physical activity or sport more often (2.41, 1.87–3.13) and fewer smoked cigarettes (0.70, 0.54–0.91) or consumed alcohol excessively (0.32, 0.19–0.56). Conclusions: The use of the Internet by people with disabilities was associated with improved wellbeing, better mental health and more beneficial health behaviours. These findings support the development of intensive actions to reduce the digital divide for the population of people with disabilities.


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