Research
sheds new light on role of technology for marginalised young people
17 December 2007 —
a research report,
“Marginalised young people’s use of Information and Communication
Technology (ICT)”, released today by the Inspire Foundation, has found
that the internet and mobile phones play a much greater role than expected in
the lives of young people who are socially, culturally or economically
marginalised.
Led by
the Inspire Foundation (www.inspire.org.au)
— a national organisation that uses technology to create opportunities
for young people to change their world — and funded by VicHealth, the
report challenges the concept of the “digital divide” which
suggests that marginalised young people’s use of technology is limited.
The
research found that young people who are marginalised and at risk of developing
mental health difficulties use the internet as a tool to express themselves,
channel energy into their social networking profiles or chat to others online.
Some participants who felt they had few friends in the face-to-face world, said
they use the Internet to make new friends, which built their confidence and
self-esteem.
As one
research participant explained “I like [social networking site]
because I'm a very creative person. With [it] you can use it to meet
people, but it's your page and no one can tell you what to do with it. If
you’re having a rough day you can just go on the computer, relax and talk
to friends. You can be creative.”
A key
author of the report and Inspire Foundation’s Director of Research and
Policy Dr Jane Burns said, “This
research helps us better understand the role that technology plays in the lives
of marginalised young people. It also shows us that service providers do not
feel confident using technology, are concerned about what young people are
doing online but, are open to using technology such as film-making and digital
storytelling to improve mental health and wellbeing.”
The
research involved focus groups with young people and in-depth interviews with
service providers, across Victoria.
It explored how young people from a diverse range of backgrounds use ICT such
as the Internet, and how this can impact on their mental health and
wellbeing.
Copies of the report are available at www.inspire.org.au
For
further information please contact Michelle Blanchard on 0403 171 989 or (03) 9825 5177
About Inspire Foundation (www.inspire.org.au)
Inspire
is a national non-profit organisation formed in 1996 in response to
Australia’s then escalating rates of youth suicide. Inspire’s
mission is to create opportunities for young people to change their world.
By combining the power of technology with the face-to-face
involvement of young people, Inspire delivers three national programs: Reach
Out! (www.reachout.com.au) provides
information, support and resources to improve young people’s
understanding of mental health issues, develop resilience, increase coping
skills, and facilitate help-seeking behaviour, ActNow (www.actnow.com.au)
provides young people with opportunities to find out more about their world and
take action on the issues they care about, and Beanbag provides creative
technology initiatives for young people to improve their technical skills,
self-confidence and social connectedness.
Research sheds new
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