Mediatization in the Arab World: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of New Media Use
Journal Title: Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies - Year 2015, Vol 5, Issue 2
Abstract
New media (including online and cellular technologies) are being embraced around the world, and younger people have led the way in their adoption. These technologies have spread particularly quickly in the Middle East as a result of innovations in satellite, cellular, and Internet technology. In addition, the Arab Spring was a major milestone for new media adoption in the Middle East and helped define appropriate uses for these technologies. Although they have been used for activism and expression, evidence suggests that these are not (or perhaps are no longer) the primary uses of these technologies among young Arabs. Drawing on the concept of mediatization in an analysis of surveys of American and Arab young people, this study explores cultural influences in recent online and cellular technology use in the Arab world, as well as cultural consequences of the increasing adoption of these technologies. In particular, it identifies and explores similarities and differences among the two groups regarding ownership of devices, online and cellular activities, and frequency of these activities. Findings reiterate the prominence of new media in the Arab world and suggest a continuing influence of traditional values, as well as an increasing influence of Western culture.
Authors and Affiliations
Julie B. Wiest| West Chester University of Pennsylvania, USA, Nahed Eltantawy| High Point University, USA
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP10033
- DOI -
- Views 341
- Downloads 15
Climate Change in Four News Magazines: 1989-2009
Abstract This longitudinal study examined how four news magazines, The Economist from Great Britain, Mclean’s of Canada, and two American publications, Newsweek and U.S. News and World Report, portrayed climate change...
Exploring the Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivations in Blogging: A Survey on Hong Kong University Students
Abstract Blogging stickiness and motivations have become a frequently studied topic in blogging research for several years. Yet few research pay attention to the difference between the initial motivation and current mot...
Updated Statuses: Understanding Facebook Use through Explicit and Implicit Measures of Attitudes and Motivations
The overall purpose of these studies was to explore whether underlying motivations could predict frequency of Facebook use, use of social connection features and use of selfexpression features. We sought to explain both...
The Relation between Positive Brand Emotions and Recall
Brand memory and ad memory is a kind of mental storage that consumers apply to while making decisions about brands and buying. A positive ad memory for a given brand plays an effective role for consumers to develop a p...
Anchorperson: An Emerging Phenomenon in the Electronic Media
This research study mainly focuses the imprudent role of the anchorpersons working in different news and current affair channels as an emerging phenomenon in electronic media. The study is designed to investigate the p...