International Online Journal of Educational Sciences, 2013, 5 (3), 598-610 © 2013International Online Journal of Educational Sciences (IOJES) is a publication of Educational Researches and Publications Association (ERPA) www.iojes.net International Online Journal of Educational Sciences ISSN: 1309-2707 The Digital User of Social Networks: A Comparative, Transcultural and Intergenerational Study Jon Altuna 1 , Hasan Aydin 2 , Burhan Ozfidan 3 and Nere Amenabav 4 1,4 University of the Basque Country, Spain; 2 Yildiz Technical University, Turkey; 3 Ohio University USA ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Article History: Received 07.12.2013 Received in revised form 19.09.2013 Accepted 21.10.2013 Available online 15.12.2013 This article presents the results of a research study carried out in 2010 and 2011 on the evolution of the digital divide in two different cultural contexts: Europe and the United States of America. Using an Internet-based questionnaire parents and teenagers were surveyed regarding some variables related to their digital skills and their participation in social networks. Their answers were analyzed taking into account a range of factors such as age, gender and place of residence. The results highlight that there are significant differences between the United States of America and Europe regarding the presence of parents and teens on social networks, even though the generational digital divide decreases between minors and parents in both cultural contexts © 2013 IOJES. All rights reserved Keywords: 1 Digital divide, digital gap, internet, social network, information and communication technology (ICT), digital user, cross-cultural study, and intergenerational study Introduction The Internet has ushered in a new era and culture based on the access of information, the participation of users generating opinions, and the creation of social networks. It has constructed a new digital environment of relationships, profiles, and information, becoming a tool of communication and a space for leisure. Twenty-first-century children are digital natives who have learnt to multitask through the Internet and to manage multiple screens through information and communication technologies (ICTs) (Gurpegui, 2010). The parents, as digital immigrants, have opened a digital divide with respect to their children in the knowledge of computer applications and the use of ICTs. Internet, videogames, mobile phones, iPods, and cameras, among other digital tools, are commonly used by the children and perceived as inaccessible by the parents (UNESCO, 2010). Teenagers voluntarily relinquish their personal information in order to join social networks on the Internet. Subsequently, they are surprised when their parents read their online comments. Also, communities and educational institutions are astonished by the personal information posted online by teens and their online activities outside of school. Beniger(1986) argues that the publication of personal information by teenagers and students have consequences. Benigeralso states that mass media have gradually replaced interpersonal communication as a socializing force. In addition, social networks have become popular sites for youth culture to explore relations and share cultural events. The idea that a new generation of students is entering the educacional system has attracted recent attention from educators and government officials. The name 'digital natives' or 'net generation', attributed to these young people means that they have been immersed in technology all their lives, acquiring 3 Corresponding author’s address : Department of Curriculum and Instruction,Ohio University, USA Telephone: +1 775- 971-8370 e-mail: bo505113@ohio.edu