The Internet in the everyday life‐world: a comparison between high‐school students in China and Norway

Abstract

Based on in‐depth interviews, this study offers a comparison of how high‐school students in China and Norway are actively constructing the Internet as an element of their everyday lives. Through the Schutzian notions of everyday life‐world, social‐biographical situation and relevance, the study has revealed striking differences between the Chinese and Norwegian participants concerning their relationship with the Net, although both have been referred to as members of the Net Generation. These are summarised in four interrelated themes that highlight the differences. Together, they shed light on the different places and meanings the Net has acquired in the young people’s lives in the two cases and how they negotiate their identities as students within the Internet‐transformed context. It is argued that these differences cannot be explained merely by the material resources in the two societies. More importantly, they have to do with the individuals’ and their families’ relevance systems.