Digital Divides, Generational Gaps, and Cultural Overlaps: A Portrait of Media Use and Perspectives of Media in Thailand

Abstract

ABSTRACT Although lower- and middle-income nations are experiencing a dramatic rise in digital media, scientific understanding of how young people and families in such nations navigate this altered landscape lags behind. This mixed methods study examines access to, use of, and perspectives of digital and traditional media in Thailand, a middle-income nation undergoing rapid technological change. Eighty participants, evenly divided by ecological context (rural, urban) and generational cohort (adolescent, parent), participated in this interview study. Quantitative analyses reveal ecological gaps in media access and use, and generational gaps in media use and perceived importance of media. Qualitative analyses reveal how perceived opportunities and challenges of media are customized by ecological context and generational cohort. Centering the experiences and perspectives of Thais in diverse communities and of diverse ages, this study highlights both within-nation heterogeneity and homogeneity in media integration and psychological orientations toward media. In so doing, it draws attention to how culture shapes media use and perspectives.