Benefits and drawbacks of adolescent ICT use: the students’ point of view

Abstract

This paper aims at understanding the perception of secondary school students, about possibilities and problems from Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) use, taking into account their out-of-school experience. The article consists in a qualitative study, through the in-depth interview technique. Participants were twenty adolescents in the second level of Secondary School, from Aragón, belonging to both private and state schools. The findings show a kind of use mainly instrumental, focused on peer groups, with a communicative purpose, centered in mobile phone. They appreciate ICT as an information source for schoolwork; and, of course, for entertainment. Regarding daily drawbacks, wasting their time is the most referred, along with an excessive dependence and insecurity. In conclusion, not only that ambivalence, between a general positive view and their conscience and necessity of a moderate and responsible way of using, recovers the role of guidance from family and school, but also reinforces it in order to a meaningful learning of ICT.