Abstract
Much of the existing literature on the Internet centres on a binary classification of
haves and have-nots. I have chosen instead to focus on the difference in Internet
use and skills and a more broadly interpreted notion of digital competence among
young people, seen in relation to the new Norwegian educational reform; The
Knowledge Promotion.
This thesis examines the role of the Internet from young people’s perspective. My
aim was to examine the concept of digital competence through studying young
people’s ways of using the Internet, and to discuss whether the educational reform
“The Knowledge Promotion” is deterministic in assuming young people’s usage in
one certain way.
I have chosen to use Science and Technology in Society studies (STS) as my main
theoretical approach, but my literature will also consist of material from other
disciplines such as sociology, anthropology, media studies and educational studies.
My empirical research consists of qualitative interviews and also practical tests
conducted with thirteen young people.