Social Media Generations' Levels of Acceptance of Diversity

• Published in: Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology - TOJET Vol. 20; no. 2; pp. 155 - 168
• Main Author: Tutgun-Ünal, Aylin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sakarya University 01.04.2021
• Subjects: Computer Use; Cultural Differences; Ethnic Diversity; Gender Differences; Generational Differences; Global Approach; Physical Characteristics; Religious Factors; Social Attitudes; Social Media; Social Networks; Social Values
• ISSN: 2146-7242

Social media networks offering the opportunity of communication on a global scale help individual of any age to build their own worlds as part of participatory online culture. The intense use of social media networks and the global affection power on public opinion lead the researchers to investigate the effects of social media networks on Baby Boomer, X, Y, Z generations. So, the levels of acceptance of diversity of these generations are investigated in "Acceptance of Diverse Religions/Ethnicities" and "Acceptance of Diverse Appearances" and "Acceptance of Diverse Ideas/Values" dimensions of "Acceptance of Diversity Scale" developed by Deniz and Tutgun - Ünal (2019). The research was carried out in a general survey model and the sample of the research consisted of 516 individuals of different generations. Some of the major results are as follows: (a) The levels of acceptance of diversity of generations are moderate level; (b) Females' levels of acceptance of diversity are found higher than males; (c) Levels of acceptance of diversity of those using social media for a longer time are higher than those using for a shorter time; (d) Those using social media more than four hours daily have a higher level of acceptance of diverse appearances; (e) The generation Y has the highest tolerance level of the acceptance of diverse appearances whereas generation Z has the lowest tolerance level.