Nano innovation with smart products: The youth’s nanotech awareness, perception of benefits/risks<p>Akıllı ürünleriyle nano yeniliği: Gençlerin nanoteknoloji farkındalığı, fayda/risk algıları

Abstract

Starting with 2000’s the potential of this technology managed to catch the attention of governments, private sectors, and even key civil decision makers. By creating new resources for production systems, adding new functions to products and even equipping new products with extraordinary functions, this technology has quickly entered in research labs and, soon after, in the economic and social lives of the societies. Along with all these promises and its great potential, some doubts as well have been brought to public attention, namely issues related to the impact of nanoscience development upon health and the environment; this lead to a certain display of resistance to its benefits by recalling previous unsuccessful experiments and so not being able to demonstrate its potential to the public. The research results found in the literature draw attention to the fact that the initially low public awareness in respect with nanotechnology has gradually increased, and along with a general positivity a sense of concern created by uncertainties and risk perceptions has also emerged. Studies touching upon the importance of the perception of nanotechnology innovation and the social acceptance of its products have put an emphasis on following up the variables within the dissemination process. Among the countries that have allocated funds to nanoscience is also Turkey, but an utterly limited literature is available on the topic of nanotechnology and public perception. In this respect, this study aims to analyze, by using Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations Model, the variables in phenomena such as the tendencies of using nanotech products, benefit/risk perceptions, the perceived properties of innovation, and technological trend profiles. In conclusion, the results of this research, done with the participation of 446 students from science, health and social sciences departments, have put forward findings such as a high awareness and an overall positivity towards nanotechnological products, but also a certain precaution in the preferences of buying food products. Ozet 2000’li yillarin basindan itibaren potansiyeli ile nanoteknoloji hukumetler, ozel sektor ve sivil aktorlerin dikkatini cekmeyi basarmistir. Uretim sistemlerine yeni kaynaklar yaratarak, urunlere yeni islevler katarak ve hatta sira disi islevlerle donanmis yeni urunleri ureten bu teknoloji toplumlarin ekonomik ve sosyal yasamlarina da girmistir. Tum bu olaganustu vaatlerin ve guclu potansiyelin yaninda nanobilimdeki saglik ve cevre uzerinde yeni sorunlari gundeme getiren belirsizlikler, kamusal alanda onceki olumsuz deneyimleri cagristirma, potansiyelini ortaya koyamadan nanoteknolojiye direnc gelistirme ihtimallerini yaratmistir. Literaturdeki arastirmalarin sonuclari da, kamuda baslarda dusuk olan nanoteknoloji farkindaliginin giderek yukseldigini ve genel iyimserligin yaninda risk algilari ve belirsizligin yarattigi endiselerin olustuguna dikkat cekmistir. Calismalar, nanoteknoloji yeniligi ve urunlerin toplumsal kabulu acisindan algilarin onemine deginmistir. Nanobilime kaynak ayiran Turkiye’de ise kamu algilari konusunda son derece kisitli bir literatur bulunmaktadir. Bu dogrultuda calismada nanoteknoloji algilarinin olculmesinde Rogers’in Yeniligin Yayilimi Modeli temel alinarak yeniligin algilanan ozellikleri, teknoloji yonelim profilleri, nanoteknolojik urun kullanma egilimleri ve fayda/risk algilari gibi degiskenler analiz edilmistir. Fen, saglik ve sosyal bilimler alanlarindan 446 universite ogrencisi katilimci ile yapilan arastirma sonuclarinda yuksek bilinirlik, genel iyimserlik ancak gida urun kategorilerine karsi temkinli satin alma tercihi gibi bulgulara ulasilmistir.