| This study was developed to understand new trends and gender differences in the use of computers and the internet in Korea. A mixed-method design of qualitative and quantitative measures was employed with 673 high school student participants. Results showed that both males and females used computers generally for four purposes: Social networking, personal knowledge, formal learning, and entertainment. It was also found that there were differences in preference between the sexes: Males liked playing multi-user online games especially in internet cafes with friends, while females enjoyed social networking websites. This implied that the patterns of computer use between males and females were different, while both genders similarly used computers for fun and socializing. These findings suggest that it is advisable to build learning environments that appeal to the computer application preferences for both genders. Second, it is necessary to develop the potentials of other computer applications and digital learning environments which can help address gender inequity as well as other societal issues. Also, coherent efforts in the broader society must be made to investigate structural problems of the digital divide and to bridge related issues. |
