New Media Gratifications in the Digital Divide Context [Gratificatii ale new media in contextul decalajului digital]

New Media Gratifications in the Digital Divide Context [Gratificatii ale new media in contextul decalajului digital]

Professor Ph.D. Poliana STEFANESCU

Abstract
New media represent the convergence of two different historical trajectories׃ Information Technology (IT) and media technologies. In the last two decades, the fast evolution of this field, the overlapping of hypertext technologies and the assimilation of multimedia technologies lead to the following dilemma׃ is the new media just a new branch of mass-media or are we facing a digital rethinking of the society. The presentation includes an analysis of the relationship between uses and gratifications of the Internet in the digital divide context. Certain usages and rewards within demographic groups will be highlighted, with different socio-economic status. It becomes obvious that, when digital divide decreases, the usages and rewards remain the same.

Keywords: new media, uses and gratifications, digital divide, Internet usage.

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