Can the Internet and its applications mould the cultural values of UAE youth?

Research Paper (postgraduate) from the year 2009 in the subject Information Management, grade: Distinction, London School of Economics, language: English, abstract: The Internet was introduced to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the mid 1990s. The effects of this world changing innovation on UAE culture are still unclear. This study aims to help fill that gap in knowledge by considering whether any such effects have occurred.

A questionnaire was distributed at a local institution (Abu Dhabi University) to collect primary data. Drawing on Hofstede's Cultural Framework and the Diffusion of Innovations Theory, the paper analyses the primary data, along with some secondary data examining how the everyday use of the Internet affects the cultural values of UAE youth. The results indicate that exposure to the Internet may in fact change the cultural values of youth. Importantly this paper also calls for further research into why the rate of Internet diffusion varies so greatly from that suggested by the literature.