Pathways in interactive media practices among youths

Abstract

This qualitative study examines how 11 Dutch students aged 14–15 develop an interest in specific types of interactive media practices and how they perceive these practices in relation to others. The methods included semi‐structured interviewing, autodriving visual elicitation and photo elicitation using moodboards. Our results show the importance of peers for the emergence of interest to learn about specific applications. We found that the learning process of our respondents consists of searching and trying out by themselves, or asking peers in real life or via MSN. Furthermore, although our respondents did not strongly typify their own interactive media practices, they gave distinctive descriptions of tools, identities and practices for other kinds of interactive media users. Although some respondents think positively of interactive media in an educational context, all students want these media combined with projects and explanation by teachers. Building on earlier research on diversity in interactive media practices among contemporary youth, this article provides a contextualised understanding of both the emergence of these practices and possible implications for education.

Keywords:

• interactive media use
• diversity
• emergence of interest
• peripheral participation
• identity
• otherness

Notes

1. All names are fictitious.

2. Hyves, a website resembling Facebook, was the most popular social networking site in the Netherlands at the time of inquiry.