This study investigates the relationship between smartphone and desktop or laptop computer users characteristics and online content creation and participation. A survey collected demographic information as well as detailed information on which devices were preferred by the participants in various circumstances. Results showed age and income were the two primary demographic factors in determining a users degree of comfort with technology as well as their likelihood to participate with or create online content.
Employing the Diffusion of Innovations theory, this research found support for the idea that home computers have seen to fruition the diffusion process, and are not factors in participants self-reporting of their level of online expertise. Looking at the use of technology through the Technology Acceptance Model lens, this research indicates that the usefulness a generation once saw in the proliferation of the home computer now has been more perceived and adopted in the area of smartphone use. This fairly widespread view of smartphone usefulness, except in the oldest age categories, indicates that like the computer becoming ubiquitous, soon too will the smartphone follow the same path.
Interesting findings include the disconnect between a users self-concept and their actions; the Content consumers group, who generally consumes rather than creates or interacts with content, seems to rate themselves higher as influencers and experts online than the group who actually creates the content. And interestingly, those that are Smartphone averse will actually use their smartphones more in certain instances than Content consumers.
Why participants self-concept differed from their self-reported usage patterns, in my view, is attributable to the fact that as the comfort level with technology rises, the awareness of that technology ebbs. This illustrates the power of ubiquity; once a piece of technology becomes commonplace or highly familiar, the user concentrates less on the device because it has become part of his or her daily routine. This, in turn, causes the users self-concept about the relationship between him or her and technology to become less based on actual usage patterns and more based on perception.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LSU/oai:etd.lsu.edu:etd-11132013-184130 |
| Date | 21 November 2013 |
| Creators | Cortright, Amanda Bradford |
| Contributors | Reynolds, Amy, Porter, Lance, Sanders, Meghan |
| Publisher | LSU |
| Source Sets | Louisiana State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-11132013-184130/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached herein a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to LSU or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below and in appropriate University policies, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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