Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Digital Media Use by Chinese Youth and Its Impact

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Media Literacy Education in China

Abstract

As the world continues to be wired up electronically and as people continue to move their daily lives online, electronic media become more and more prominent in China. This chapter presents the latest statistics about the media use by Chinese young people, describes the unprecedented growth trends of media useage, and outlines the reasons why young people in China are so enthusiastic about new gadgets and embrace activities on the Internet, as well as some potential impact of their media use. Results of the study indicate immediate needs for enhanced media literacy education in China, which will enable Chinese young people to become mature users of new media and will help avoid the issues that media use may bring.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Amichai-Hamburger, Y., Wainapel, G., & Fox, H. (2002). On the Internet no one knows I’m an introvert: Extroversion, neuroticism, an Internet interaction. Cyber Psychology and Behaviors, 5(2), 125–128.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blog. (n.d.). Retrieved from the Blog Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog

  • Boyd, D. M., & Ellison, N. B. (2007). Social network sites: Definition, history, and scholarship. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13(1), 11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Byram, M. (1997). Teaching and assessing intercultural communicative competence. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters Ltd.

    Google Scholar 

  • China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC). (2014a). No. 33 – Statistical report on the development of Internet in China. Retrieved from http://www.cnnic.net.cn/hlwfzyj/hlwxzbg/

  • China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC). (2014b). Basic statistics. Retrieved from http://www.cnnic.cn/hlwfzyj/jcsj/

  • China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC). (2014c). 2013 report on the Internet uses by Chinese youth. Retrieved from http://www.cnnic.net.cn/hlwfzyj/hlwxzbg/qsnbg/201406/t20140611_47215.htm

  • Chang, C., & Liu, E. (2011). Exploring the media literacy of Taiwanese elementary school students. Asia-Pacific Education Researcher (De La Salle University Manila), 20(3), 604–611.

    Google Scholar 

  • DeBell, M., & Chapman, C. (2006). Computer and Internet use by students in 2003 (NCES 2006–065). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2006/2006065.pdf.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibson, S., & Oberg, D. (2004). Visions and realities of Internet use in schools: Canadian perspectives. British Journal of Educational Technology, 35(5), 569–585.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greenfield, P., & Yan, Z. (2006). Children, adolescents, and the Internet: A new field of inquiry in developmental psychology. Developmental Psychology, 42, 391–394.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guangzhou Municipal Committee of the Communist Youth League & Guangzhou Children's Palace (GMCCYL & GCP). (2013). Media and children −2013 China Youth Palace children’s media literacy survey report. Retrieved from http://news.sina.com.cn/s/2014-05-04/145330057502.shtml

  • Hobbs, R. (2008). Approaches to instruction and teacher education in media literacy. Retrieved from http://unesco.atlasproject.eu/unesco/file/4d9cea5f-12c8-4558-9a49-dab51c13b4ed/c8c7fe00-c770-11e1-9b21-0800200c9a66/161133e.pdf

  • Internet World Stats. (2012, June 30). Top 20 countries with highest number of Internet users. Retrieved from http://www.internetworldstats.com/top20.htm

  • Internet World Stats. (2014). Internet uses in Asia. Retrieved from http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats3.htm

  • Jackson, L. A., von Eye, A., Witt, W. A., Zhao, Y., & Fitzgerald, H. E. (2011). A longitudinal study of the effects of Internet use and videogame playing on academic performance and the roles of gender, race and income in these relationships. Computers in Human Behavior, 27, 228–239.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Katz, E., Blumler, J. G., & Gurevitch, M. (1974). Utilization of mass communication by the individual. In J. G. Blumler & E. Katz (Eds.), The uses of mass communications: Current perspectives on gratifications research (pp. 19–32). Beverly Hills: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kramsch, C. (1995). The cultural component of language teaching. Language, Culture, and Curriculum, 8(2), 83–93.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lam, L. (2012). An innovative research on the usage of Facebook in the higher education context of Hong Kong. Electronic Journal of E-Learning, 10(4), 378–386.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lei, J., Zhou, J., & Wang, Q. (2009). Internet use among middle school students in school and at home: What can we learn from a U.S.-China comparison? Computers in the Schools, 26(2), 147–164. doi:10.1080/07380560902906104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leung, L. (2001). College student’s motives for chatting on ICQ. New Media and Society, 3(4), 483–500.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leung, L. (2007). Unwillingness-to-communicate and college students’ motives in SMS mobile messaging. Telematics and Informatics, 24(2), 115–129.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leung, L., & Wei, R. (2000). More than just talk on the move: Uses and gratifications of cellular phone. Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, 77(2), 308–320.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leung, L., & Lee, P. N. (2005). Multiple determinants of life quality: The roles of Internet activities, use of new media, social support, and leisure activities. Telematics & Informatics, 22(3), 161–180. doi:10.1016/j.tele.2004.04.003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, S., Jin, X., Wu, S., Jiang, F., Yan, C., & Shen, X. (2007). The impact of media use on sleep patterns and sleep disorders among school-aged children in China. SLEEP, 30(3), 361–367.

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, X., & Chen, W. (2014). Facebook or Renren? A comparative study of social networking site use and social capital among Chinese international students in the United States. Computers in Human Behavior, 35: 116–123. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2014.02.012

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu, F. (2010). The Internet in the everyday life-world: A comparison between high-school students in China and Norway. Comparative Education, 46(4), 527–550. doi:10.1080/03050068.2010.519483.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, Q., Fang, X., Deng, L., & Zhang, J. (2012). Parent–adolescent communication, parental Internet use and Internet-specific norms and pathological Internet use among Chinese adolescents. Computers in Human Behavior, 28(4), 1269–1275. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2012.02.010.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, R., Shen, C., Xu, L., & Gao, Q. (2013). Children’s Internet information seeking, life satisfaction, and loneliness: The mediating and moderating role of self-esteem. Computers & Education, 68, 21–28. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2013.04.019.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lo, O., & Leung, L. (2009). Effects of gratification-opportunities and gratifications-obtained on preferences of instant messaging and e-mail among college students. Telematics & Informatics, 26(2), 156–166. doi:10.1016/j.tele.2008.06.001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (n.d.). Framework for 21st century learning. Retrieved from http://www.p21.org/our-work/p21-framework

  • Papcharissi, Z., & Rubin, A. M. (2000). Predictors of Internet use. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, 46(3), 346–369.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Safety Management and Safety Education for Elementary and Secondary Schools (SMSE). (2010). Online safety. Retrieved from www.teacherclub.com.cn/safe

  • Sheer, V. C. (2011). Teenagers’ use of MSN features, discussion topics, and online friendship development: The impact of media richness and communication control. Communication Quarterly, 59(1), 82–103. doi:10.1080/01463373.2010.525702.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shen, C., Liu, R., & Wang, D. (2013). Why are children attracted to the Internet? The role of need satisfaction perceived online and perceived in daily real life. Computers in Human Behavior, 29(1), 185–192. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2012.08.004.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tencent QQ. (n.d.). Retrieved from the Tencent QQ Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tencent_QQ

  • Thoman, E. (1995). Operational definition of media literacy. Los Angeles: Center for Media Literacy.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trilling, B., & Fadel, C. (2009). 21st century skills: Learning for life in our time. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tyner, K. (2003). Beyond boxes and wires: Literacy in transition. Television and New Media, 4, 371–388.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • United States Department of Education. (1996). Getting America’s students ready for the 21st century: Meeting the technology literacy challenge. Washington, DC: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • United States Department of Education. National Center for Education Statistics. (2000). Teachers’ tools for the 21st century: A report on teachers’ use of technology. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2000/2000102.pdf

  • United States Department of Education. (2004). Toward a new golden age in American education: How the Internet, the law and today’s students are revolutionizing expectations: The National Educational Technology Plan. Washington, DC: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wan, G., & Gut, D. M. (2008a). Media use by Chinese and U.S. secondary students: Implications for media literacy education. Theory Into Practice, 47(3), 178–185. doi:10.1080/00405840802153783.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wan, G., & Gut, D. (2008b). Roles of media and media literacy education: Lives of Chinese and American adolescents. New Horizons in Education, 56(2), 28–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang, J., Jackson, L. A., Zhang, D., & Su, Z. (2012). The relationships among the Big Five Personality factors, self-esteem, narcissism, and sensation-seeking to Chinese University students’ uses of social networking sites (SNSs). Computers in Human Behavior, 28(6), 2313–2319. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2012.07.001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, Y., & Sun, S. (2009). Examining Chinese students’ Internet use and cross-cultural adaptation: Does loneliness speak much? Asian Journal of Communication, 19(1), 80–96. doi:10.1080/01292980802618494.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • WeChat. (n.d.). Retrieved from the WeChat Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WeChat

  • Yeh, E., & Kessler, G. (to appear-2014). Enhancing linguistic and intercultural competencies through the use of social network sites and Google Earth. In J. Keengwe (Ed.), Promoting global literacy skills through technology-infused teaching and learning. Hershey: IGI Global.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yen, J. Y., Yen, C. F., Chen, C. C., Chen, S. H., & Ko, C. H. (2007). Family factors of Internet addiction and substance use experience in Taiwanese adolescents. Cyberpsychology and Behavior, 10(3), 323–331.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao, X. (2012). Personal values and environmental concern in China and the US: The mediating role of informational media use. Communication Monographs, 79(2), 137–159. doi:10.1080/03637751.2012.672999.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Virginia Commonwealth University, 1015 West Main Street, Olive Hall 2119A, Richmond, VA, 23284, USA

    Guofang Wan & Hong Cheng Ph.D.

  2. Columbia College Chicago, 33 E. Congress Parkway, Room 300-V, Chicago, IL, 60605-1996, USA

    Ellen Yeh Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Guofang Wan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ellen Yeh Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Hong Cheng Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Guofang Wan .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Hong Kong Fac. Education, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

    Chi-Kim Cheung

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer Science+Business Media Singapore

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Wan, G., Yeh, E., Cheng, H. (2016). Digital Media Use by Chinese Youth and Its Impact. In: Cheung, CK. (eds) Media Literacy Education in China. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0045-4_4

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0045-4_4

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-10-0043-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-10-0045-4

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation