Tekijät

• Advisory Council for Youth Affairs (Nuora)
• Finnish Youth Research Society. Finnish Youth Research Network

Asiasanat

adolescents, communication, education, expectation, information society, internet, occupational life, time budgets, unemployment, values

Sisällön kuvaus

The main themes of the Finnish Youth Survey 2000 were the Internet and information society. Young people's future plans and notions of life and society were queried. Some of the questions focused on young people's thoughts on working life.

First, the respondents were asked about studying and employment. Their level of education and household composition were charted. Those who were in employment were asked about the type and duration of their contract. Next, the respondents were presented with a set of attitudinal statements on education and working, and their plans related to studying or working in the next five years were surveyed. They evaluated whether unemployment was exaggerated in Finland, whether education significantly improved one's chances of getting a job, and whether they will attain a higher social status than their parents.

Further questions canvassed the Internet, communication, and information society. The respondents indicated for instance the most interesting source of information and how often and where they used the Internet. The purposes of Internet use (e.g. information searching, online shopping, chatting) were also charted, as well as reasons for non-use of the Internet. The respondents were presented with a set of statements on the Internet and the utilisation of information networks. The young people told whether they believed they will use the Internet for everyday activities in the future and whether they would like to work at home utilising information networks.

Some questions pertained to young people's values and choices in life. Their views were probed for example on the significance of various aspects related to working, as well as the matters they considered important in life (e.g. striving for a high social status, opportunity to travel and see foreign cultures, spending time with close relatives and friends, taking care of oneself and one's physical condition). The respondents were also asked to evaluate what kind of things (e.g. whether income disparity will grow, whether population will be centred in few urban areas, whether insecurity will increase in society) they thought will happen in Finland in the next ten years.

Background variables included the respondent's age, gender, region of residence, degree of urbanisation, education, and economic activity.