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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Reading the Web—Students' Perceptions about the Internet

subject

description

This study explores the perceptions of Finnish 15‐year‐olds on the advantages and disadvantages of the Internet. The data, students' written responses (N = 3112), were gathered in the context of the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in the spring of 2000 as a national option. The data were analysed by close reading and using the Atlas.ti application for coding. Students regard easy access to a variety of current information as the most important advantage of the Internet. Finding new friends and chatting with old ones was also emphasised, as well as the downloading capacities of the Internet. Although problems of finding reliable and truthful information were recognised, students' main concerns were related to issues such as violations towards computers and people, and getting addicted or marginalised.