Abstract:

The influence and handling of the technology in social practices have been increasingly incorporated by users with different profiles and for several purposes. In this context it is important to highlight a significant increase of people who use the internet to communicate, searching for information, go shopping, working, as well as entertainment and involve themselves in manifestations of civic engagement, social and ethical ones. The youth generation guided by the prevalent behavior and thought of their time delimit themselves different profiles of previous generations. These changes are present not only in what refers to behavioral aspects, since these are evident and provided by means of social changes, however they are also related to the interactions among them and environment. It’s known that this generation called Internet generation is so engaged in the media and increasingly using the Digital Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), but to what level can be state that this engagement contributes to the civic engagement, political and ethical consciousness, making the internet generation participates of the democracy via web? Have the internet and social networks been contributed to the decrease of the political apathy so present among the youth? In order to answer these questions these work aims at verifying whether the internet generation has realized the social character assumed by the internet and if this has caused changes in the civic behavior of this generation. Thus, a descriptive research was carried out by the use of data collected techniques. The research field was restricted to Brazilian Federal Universities due both the fact the most researchers at these institutions are Brazilian, the institutions have the commitment with the teaching, research and extension development, directed to the good of society. The used instrument was the investigating questionnaire application and the sample was composed by 928 students from different courses contemplating the great knowledge areas, covering the 5 Brazilian geographical regions. The questionnaire was available via a link and sent to the respondents by e-mail. It was realized, during the research that although the socio-economic disparities found among the regions of the country were high, among the students it was found a uniformity in the internet use, taking into consideration that in the regions with lower socio economic index was more difficult to reach the data collection. Among the findings, one can be highlighted that the internet presents itself as essential in the everyday internet generation, that the social networks are also important and its mainly role became for them the effectiveness of the virtual society, breaking geographic boundaries and showing further influence in the individuality in network, showing that the internet has a social character. Referring to social movements, these are not part yet of the daily virtual of the majority of the youth and, who participates of them in the network prefers to have a passive role, with emphasis in the cultural interests like parties, shows, art and environmental manifestations. Regarding to the space of the public bureaucracy, one believes that the internet has empowerment to be used as democratic tool, but it still has assumed a more vertical form, inhibiting the public participation, being more used as a propagation instrument of information and publicity.

Keywords:

Digital Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), Internet generation, Social Character, Civic Engagement.