Intercultural Internet Interaction
Sarah Pasfield-Neofitou, Monash University
The spread of the Internet and remarkable growth in its usage has resulted in an increase in research on various kinds of Internet tools, including email, chat, virtual worlds, bulletin boards, instant messaging, and blogs. Many claims have been made as to the benefits of the Internet for intercultural communication, including efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and egalitarianism - that is, a forum in which everyone's voices are valued equally. While the Internet has provided a way for geographically dispersed interlocutors to communicate, access and participation are not as fair and balanced as is often claimed in the popular media and academic literature. Furthermore, just as in the wider world sphere, certain language varieties are more highly valued online than others.
In this paper, issues of equality of participation and the digital divide are examined based upon a review of previous research, and empirical evidence. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of these findings for researchers, as well as the international community at large.