"Telecommunication infrastructure and Internet connectivity are not the universal answer to the digital divide. Telecommunication infrastructure is being built in the developing world, but most studies have yet to investigate the multiple layers and contextual factors of the digital divide, which influence technology use. This study selected Social Network Sites as an example of Information and Communications Technology due to its vital role in making social, political, and economic changes... Show more"Telecommunication infrastructure and Internet connectivity are not the universal answer to the digital divide. Telecommunication infrastructure is being built in the developing world, but most studies have yet to investigate the multiple layers and contextual factors of the digital divide, which influence technology use. This study selected Social Network Sites as an example of Information and Communications Technology due to its vital role in making social, political, and economic changes in the developing world. This study compares the SNS use of college students from Sub-Saharan Africa region in two infrastructure and socio-cultural settings, the U.S. and Tanzania. This study broadly explores the changes in SNS use of developing country users in a less-developed telecommunication infrastructure setting like Tanzania, and those who relocated to an advanced infrastructure setting in America. The study uses interviews and a survey to investigate differences in SNS use between the two student groups, including their general SNS usage, Facebook uses, and motives to use Facebook. African students in Tanzania were more likely to use SNS for utilitarian purposes in schoolwork and professional advancement. African students in the U.S., however, mirrored their peer American students and used SNS as a social communication tool. The findings suggest that, contrary to most existing literature, free Internet accessibility does not necessarily lead to pragmatic uses of SNS. This study acknowledges the concept of usage divide and recommends that future digital divide studies include social-cultural, economic, and technological factors in their analyses. International Development researchers and practitioners should go beyond the providing of providing accessibility."--Page ii. Show less
