Abstract
The internet penetration on young villagers gives rise to question about its effects on the social interaction and behavior patterns as it accelerates the interaction with the wider network. However, the internet could possibly decrease both the social interaction with local people at the village and the dependency toward native villagers as internet utilization allows the users to be more selective in terms of interactions according to their interests. This research aims to examine the impacts of the Internet through a dystopian view by comparing the degrees of senses of place, participation in local activities, and social capital among internet and non-internet users using a statistical approach. The analysis of variance and linear regression were employed in the present study. The results revealed that the internet did strengthen both broad and local social capital. It also supported young villager’s participation in local activities. Nevertheless, the internet was observed to decline the villager’s sense of place, especially the desire to remain a resident in the native village. Better access to information and network gained by the users elevated their chances to move outside the village when better opportunities were observed elsewhere.
Highlights
The first group represented teenagers who were generally still in high school, while the second group consisted of respondents who were currently active as college students, working people, or jobless
This study examines the dystopian view that internet penetration in rural areas can reduce the quality of relations between rural residents at the local community level with a focus on young villagers’ sense of place, local participation and social capital
Our findings show that this view is not valid in terms of local participation and social capital
Summary
Social life in rural areas on Java Island in Indonesia, in traditional view, is characterized by a high sense of closeness among residents because of pronounced intimate social interactions at the local community level [1]. Problems among villagers are resolved through traditional forums. Hinduism and Islam culturally influence their character of social life [1]. The latter is more dominant because it was introduced lately. The practices of religious, social gatherings routinely carried out and attended by residents are examples of the manifestations of the religions. Local activities and forums historically strengthen the resilience of residents against common problems
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