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increasing number of youth turn to the Internet as a research tool [
51
], the quality of
the information provided in terms of accuracy and relevance should be quite an
important consideration in the design of a youth-oriented web space.
For example, the range and quality of information provided by Epal, an interac-
tive site to assist the provision of the Connexions service in Britain, is noted as a
major factor behind its success [
55
]. Similarly, Rizer's - which is a Nottingham site
aimed at educating potential youth offenders about the Criminal Justice System and
the consequences of crime - success is due in part to the fact that it fills an important
information gap on the web with up-to-date information and that youths find it
interesting and stimulating' [
55
]. Therefore, the presentation of content is important
in determining the success of a youth web space. In this regard, the interactivity and
ease of use is an important factor as is the kind of language used, all of which will
ensure that it is appealing to youth.
In addition, interactivity is another dimension that should be considered in
the design of a youth web space. Terdimen [
83
] reports on a study that observed
American and Australian youth using dozens of websites across a variety of genres.
They found that the participants want to be “doing something as opposed to just
sitting and reading, which tends to be more boring and something they say they do
enough of already in school”. Therefore, interactivity is very important especially
when it comes down to capturing youth attention.
There is much debate about the definition of interactivity. Steuer [
76
] defines
interactivity as the extent to which users can participate in modifying the form and
content of a mediated environment in real time. However, not all observers agree
about the importance of real time. For example, Rheingold [
71
] suggested that the
asynchronous characteristics of tools such as email, news groups and listservs is one
of the key benefits of these interactive media. We agree with Heeter [
37
] who
defines two components of interactive websites. The first is ease of adding informa-
tion, meaning the degree to which users can add information for access by a mass,
undifferentiated audience. And the second is interpersonal communication facilita-
tion, which comes in at least two forms: asynchronous (allowing users to respond to
messages at their convenience) and synchronous (allowing for concurrent partici-
pation in real time).
Furthermore, Ha and James [
33
] identified five dimensions of Web interactivity
that fulfil different communication needs: (1) Playfulness - measured by the
presence of such curiosity-arousing devices as Q and A formats and games; (2)
Choice - measured by the number of alternatives for colour, speed, language and
other non-informational aspects; (3) Connectedness - measured by the presence of
information about the product, company, third parties and other content of interest
to visitors; (4) Information collection - measured by the presence of such monitor-
ing mechanisms as registration forms and counters and (5) Reciprocal communica-
tion - measured by the presence of response mechanisms, including the
Webmasters email address, surveys and purchase orders. Hugh-Hassell and Miller
[
43]
echo similar sentiments. Their research identifies that visual appeal of the site,
ease of navigation, currency and accuracy of information are all key elements when
it comes to creating an interactive web space for youth.
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