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Immigrant children and the Internet in Spain: uses, opportunities, and risks
[journal article]
Abstract This article describes the use made of the Internet by immigrant children living in Spain and the opportunities and risks it involves. Specifically, it deals with children from the Maghreb, Ecuador, and Sub-Saharan Africa, three regions which account for a quarter of Spain's foreign-born population.... view more
This article describes the use made of the Internet by immigrant children living in Spain and the opportunities and risks it involves. Specifically, it deals with children from the Maghreb, Ecuador, and Sub-Saharan Africa, three regions which account for a quarter of Spain's foreign-born population. A qualitative methodology was used, based on in-depth interviews with 52 children from these countries and educators from their support centres. Immigrant minors usually access the Internet via their smartphones rather than via computers. They have a very high rate of smartphone use and access the Internet over public Wi-Fi networks. However, they make little use of computers and tablets, the devices most closely associated with education and accessing information. Internet usage is fairly similar among immigrant and Spanish teens, although the former receive more support and mediation from their schools and institutions than from their parents. The Internet helps them to communicate with their families in their countries of origin. As one educator puts it, "they have gone from sending photos in letters to speaking to their families every day on Skype". Some teens, particularly Maghrebis, sometimes suffer from hate messages on social networks.... view less
Keywords
migrant; child; Internet; utilization; Spain; adolescent; social network; electronic media
Classification
Sociology of the Youth, Sociology of Childhood
Migration, Sociology of Migration
Interactive, electronic Media
Document language
English
Publication Year
2019
Page/Pages
p. 56-65
Journal
Media and Communication, 7 (2019) 1
Issue topic
Communicating on/with minorities
ISSN
2183-2439
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed