Internet risks and expert views: a case study of the insider perspectives of youth workers in Hong Kong

Abstract

This study collects and analyses the viewpoints of front-line youth workers regarding the notion of ‘Internet risks’. Previous studies have examined and discussed various dangers of the Internet. Parental, school, and governmental interventions are often called for by those concerned. The implicit assumption is that these are the people who possess the expertise to tackle the problems at hand. Through participation in three forums focusing on ‘Internet risks’, and in-depth interviews with 10 such ‘experts’ in Hong Kong, the study examines if this is a valid assumption. It finds that experts perceive Internet risks rather differently. In addition to the more conventional views about content, contact and conduct risks, our interviewees are aware that a new order is quickly emerging in the new media environment. Despite being considered as ‘experts’, they do not necessarily know how to tackle the so-called ‘youth-at-risk’. Rather, they are exploring how they would capitalize on the opportunities offered by the developments. The key findings highlight the need to critically review the notion of ‘Internet risks’. As with other risk frameworks, the ultimate aim is to develop intervention programmes. In this regard, risks are often treated as concrete problems that can be solved. Youth experts, however, find that the changing scope, speed and persistence of communication in today's information society present the biggest challenge in youth work. The existing framework of risks was unable to describe and account for such risks. In response, Internet risk has to be reconceptualized so that more updated, relevant and imaginative intervention can be introduced.

Keywords:

• Internet risks
• youth culture
• media literacy
• communication studies

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

Donna Chu, now an associate professor in School of Journalism and Communication, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, researches about youth culture, issues about media and gender, and media literacy.[email: [email protected]]

Notes

1. Human-flesh searching is a direct translation from Chinese. It refers to a thorough search on the Internet to identify certain, otherwise anonymous, individuals. For example, the news story headlined ‘Occupying bus seat with schoolbag, boy was exposed for criticisms on net through “human flesh search”’, Singtao Daily, 15 June 2010, A08.

2. Certain people are identified as targets of criticism on the Internet. ‘Prodigy girl attacked by some 3500 malicious netizens in an Internet forum’, Sun, 20 May 2009, A12; ‘Child contestant received harsh criticisms from over 10,000 Internet users’, Hong Kong Economic Times, 31 May 2010, A28; ‘ “Kong Girl” under severe pressure after being exposed on net, she thought of killing herself’, Headline Daily, 4 January 2010, P02.

3. ‘A young man who was accused of pushing his pregnant girlfriend downstairs was attacked by 30,000 people on net. He offered a cash award to prove his innocence’, Mingpao, 8 November 2009, A02; ‘Schoolgirl rumored to have bullied a dog gets bullied online’, Singao Daily, 20 May 2010. F01.

4. At the request of a few participants, pseudonyms are used for confidentiality.