Multidisciplinary collaborative research to understand the Thai digital citizens

 

This research was funded by NRCT under the Integrated Strategic Plan for Social Goals “Thais 4.0”, in collaboration with faculty members from various fields such as Political Science, Architecture, Demography, etc., from several institutions including Chulalongkorn University, Kasetsart University, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), Ramkhamhaeng University, and Nakhon Phanom University.

For over 7 months, the research team conducted qualitative research gathering data from the 910 Thai digital citizens aged between 13 and 38 in 3 areas: 1) Bangkok (inner, middle, and outer districts), which represents the capital; 2) Chiang Mai as a major city, and 3) Nakhon Phanom as the secondary city. Moreover, parents, teachers, professors, and employers relating to digital citizens were interviewed for various angles of information and opinions. international program in thailand

“The Thai digital citizens in this study belong to Gen Y, and Gen Z and are classified into five groups: middle school students, high school students, college students, people entering the workforce, and people in mid-career. This group, especially Gen Z, aged between 7 and 25, was born and raised with technology, and have spent most of their school and work lives on the computer and smartphones, is a large population that is critical to driving Thailand in the digital world.” 

The main goal of the research is to perceive the identity of Thai digital citizens, the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed in learning and working, as well as their perspective on the future, their fears, hopes, and dreams. A variety of research techniques were used including survey interview questionnaires, free-listing, pictorial ethnography, semi-structured interviews, in-depth interviews, as well as online text extraction from and analysis of Twitter.

“These issues are crucial to reaching and understanding the next generation who are affected by technological development and their self-defined identity. The findings, in turn, can be a mirror reflecting what this generation perceives as the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to live their lives now and in the future. This way, adults, people from different generations, and the policymakers can develop an understanding that will significantly benefit the maintenance, development, and promotion of their lifestyle, be it their education or work life.”