Abstract :
Especially over the last two decades we have witnessed tremendous developments in technology and its engagement into our daily life. Experts in general agree that the more we know about the young generations’ habits especially on use of technology in this ever-changing times the better we can prepare them for the future. This manuscript reveals the results of a study that was conducted to serve this purpose. More specifically, this study intended to uncover the Anadolu University distance students’ attitudes toward the social networks and their use of social media. Additionally the gender differences were also examined. An online survey was administered to collect data during April-May of 2015. The instrument included close-ended questions regarding the students’ use of the Internet and social media as well as their demographic characteristics, such as age and gender. More than 4000 students from all over the country voluntarily participated the survey. Within this framework, first, the participant learners’ Internet usage was discussed in the light of their ages and genders. Then, the learners’ frequency of Internet this usage was evaluated. Later, the learners’ preferences of media to communicate with their friends, how they evaluate their competencies regarding using social networking tools, and finally, their goals for using social media have been discussed. Analysis of the learners’ ages and their Internet usage have shown that the majority of the Internet users are between ages 16-24. It has also been founded that the participant learners use the Internet around 5 hours every day and there is a positive relationship between frequency of Internet usage and use of social media. On the other hand, the participant learners prefer to use mobile phones to communicate with their friends. Moreover, both female and male participants have high level of competence about regarding use of Internet and social media. The study has also revealed that the most preferred social media tool among the participants is Facebook. Meanwhile, Second Life, Pinterest, and Flicker are also often preferred among the participants. And finally, the study has uncovered that communicating with friends, acquaintances and family members is the major reason for using social media tools among the participant learners.
