Technological Advancements

Introduction

According to the Internet World Stats (2011), over two billion people were ardent internet users. This means that this number of people rely on the internet for different elements. The internet is used for communication, business and financial transactions, and social connectivity, among others. The internet has become embedded in the daily activities of people around the world. In some parts of the world, technological advancements have resulted in the enhancement of internet use. Internet use is especially common among teenagers. It is estimated that teenagers spend over 30 hours on the internet every week (Guan & Subrahmanyam, 2009; Lenhart et al., 2010). This constant use of the internet has enabled these teenagers to become

This is attributed to the fact that the country has made massive steps towards effective technological advancements. These technological advancements have enabled the country to make improvements in their digital infrastructure; resulting in the high speed internet connections in the country. According to Youngs (2013), over 618 million people in the country were ardent internet users. This number shows the prevalence of internet use in the country. Additionally, the number of people in the country using mobile devices included an astonishing 83.4 percent (Wallis, 2013; Holloman, 2013). These users preferred the use of mobile devices over personal computers because of the convenience that these devices have in accessing the internet over personal computers (Jiang, 2012, Chu, 2012). Most of the internet users in the country are male. They represented 56 percent of the internet users in the country (Youngs, 2013). Wallis (2013) explains that 44 percent of these users were female; including 30 percent of migrant women. The internet users in the country spend an average of 18.6 hours on the internet (Chu, 2012). In China, many internet users use the internet to access different Chinese websites that enhance their businesses, social lives and cultural lives. The technological advancement in the country enables users to use the internet for different purposes. Most of the teenagers and youth in the country use the internet for online gaming (Bu, 2006; Niemz, Griffiths & Banyard). According to Youngs (2013), of the 618 million internet users in the country, over 368 million of these people are involved in online gaming. On the other hand, the internet is also used for online shopping (Youngs, 2013), online mapping services (Bu, 2006; Jiang, 2012), and communication and social