Information about the thesis "The Net Generation Audience and Mass Media" by graduate student Hoang Thi Thu Ha, majoring in Journalism.1. Student's Full Name: Hoang Thi Thu Ha 2. Gender: Female 3. Date of Birth: September 27, 1986 4. Place of Birth: Hanoi 5. Decision No. 1355/QD-XHNV-KH&SDH, dated October 24, 2008, issued by the Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi 6. Changes during the training process: None 7. Thesis Title: The Net Generation Audience and Mass Media 8. Major: Journalism; Code: 60.32.01 9. Scientific Advisor: Dr. Dang Thi Thu Huong, Faculty of Journalism and Communication, University of Social Sciences and Humanities 10. Summary of Thesis Results: This thesis represents initial efforts to understand a new group of media audiences in Vietnam, known as the Net Generation audience. This study was conducted on a relatively small sample size. However, the research results have somewhat suggested the basic characteristics of this demographic group. The author defines Vietnam's Net Generation as those born between 1985 and 1999 (15 years) who use the internet. According to this definition, the Net Generation is concentrated in urban areas, especially large cities like Hanoi; or in rapidly urbanizing rural areas in Vietnam. Urban areas are a familiar setting for mass media, especially new media based on the internet. The Net Generation in downtown Hanoi is primarily a group of people who use the internet frequently for a variety of purposes, from information gathering to communication, learning, shopping, and entertainment. The three most common uses of the internet are information gathering, communication, and entertainment. This demographic interacts with the internet in a much more complex way than they interact with print, radio, or television. The fundamental reason lies in the internet's prominent interactive nature and the fact that this demographic is considered one of the first to adopt and utilize new media. They also have a relatively high television viewership. The habit of watching television is a kind of "legacy" inherited from their grandparents and parents. On the other hand, this demographic has a low rate of print newspaper reading and radio listening. This necessitates changes from print and radio media to better attract this demographic. The Net Generation allocates most of their time for mass media to internet use and television viewing. This leads them to not regularly read print newspapers or listen to radio broadcasts. They may even develop a reluctance to read. Furthermore, although formed later, the habit of using the internet has significantly influenced the television viewing habits of this audience group. In general, this audience group is much more proactive in forming and developing internet usage habits compared to reading print newspapers, listening to radio broadcasts, or watching television. While sharing prominent common characteristics in their use of mass media, this audience group is also subdivided to a certain extent based on various factors such as tastes, gender, and educational environment. 11. Practical application: The goal of this research is to help media professionals build specialized communication channels for the Net Generation audience in the most effective way. This will be the target audience for mass media in the coming decades. 12. Future Research Directions: This thesis suggests larger-scale research projects in the future. These include research on the segmentation of the Net Generation audience, the development of specialized media channels for this audience, and especially research on the implementation of on-demand online radio and television channels. In addition, comparative research on content-based and target-based specialization, and research on the integration possibilities between mass media are also reasonable research directions in the context of contemporary media. 13. Published works related to the thesis: The article "On a New Generation of Media Audiences," *Journalism – Theoretical and Practical Issues*, Vol. 7, p. 347, Vietnam National University, Hanoi Publishing House, 2010.
INFORMATION ON MASTER'S THESIS
1. Full name: Hoang Thi Thu Ha 2. Sex: Female 3. Date of birth: September 27, 1986 4. Place of birth: Hanoi 5. Admission decision number: 1355/QD-XHNV-KH&SDH. Dated October 24th, 2008 6. Changes in academic process: None 7. Official thesis title: Net generation with the mass media 8. Major: Journalism Studies 9. Code: 60.32.01 10. Supervisor: Dr. Dang Thi Thu Huong, Faculty of Journalism and Communication, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Hanoi. 11. Summary of the findings of the thesis: This thesis is just an initial effort to study a newly emerging group of audience of Vietnam which is named for the first time in Vietnam as “net generation”. Although this research was just conducted on a small sample, it could suggest basic features of the net generation living in urban areas of Hanoi. Vietnam's net generation includes those who were born between 1985 and 1999 (15 years) and are now using the internet, as defined by the author. dynamic, the majority of the net generation of Vietnam is located in urban areas, especially in big cities such as Hanoi. Cities are the familiar context of the mass media, especially new internet – based tools. The net generation living in the urban areas of Hanoi are firstly those who frequently use the internet with a variety of purposes including collecting information, communicating, learning, purchasing and entertaining, amongst which the three most popular ones are collecting information, communicating and entertaining. The way this group of audience interacts with the internet is far more complicated than the way they interact with the traditional mass media, namely, print newspapers and broadcasting. The main reason lies in the high capability of interaction of the internet. Besides, the net generation are early adopters of high technologies. The net generation are also among those who have high frequency of watching television. The habit of watching television frequently is a sort of legacy from the older generations. On the other hand, this group of audience has considerably low frequency of reading newspapers and listening to radio, which requires essential changes to the two media. Most of the net generation's time for the mass media is television contributed to using the internet and watching, which makes them less available for newspapers or radio. They even tend to be afraid of reading. Furthermore, their habit of internet using has considerable influence on their habit of watching television despite that the internet has been accessible in Vietnam for only 14 years. By and large, the net generation are much more proactive in developing their habit of internet using, compared to newspapers reading, television viewing or radio listening. The net generation are divided in many subgroups based on interests, genders or learning environments although they have some prominent similarities in using the mass media. 12. Practical applicability, if any: The ultimate purpose of this research is to help communicators in Vietnam have basic knowledge of the so - called group of audience as the net generation of Vietnam, which facilitates their building of specific channels to reach the audience. 13. Further research directions, if any: This thesis suggests further research directions including the subgroups of the net generation living in the urban areas of Vietnam; the building of specific channels for the targeted audience of the net generation; the implementation of online broadcasting which develops on – demand programs; the comparative research between content – oriented tendency and audience – oriented tendency; and the integration of mass media. 14. Thesis-related publications: On the new generation of audience, Journalism - theoretical and practical issues, volume 7, p. 347, VNU Publishing House, 2010.
