ABSTRACT
The Internet is an international network of networks that connects people all over the world. Any computer can communicate with almost any other computer linked to the Internet. The Internet has created a universal technology platform on which to build all sorts of new products, services, communities and solutions. It is reshaping the way information technology is used by individuals and organisations. The Internet has provided an expedient mode of communication and access to a wealth of information (Dombrowski et al., 2007). In less than two decades, the Internet has moved from being a commu-
nications medium used by some to an everyday tool used in our homes, schools, workplaces and travels. It enables us to search for information, perform routine tasks and communicate with others. The technological aspects of the Internet are developing at the same high speed as the number of users globally. The Internet provides a social context for us to meet with others and to exchange information on a scale we would never have thought possible in the past (Quayle et al., 2006). The World Wide Web is a system with universally accepted standards for
storing, retrieving, formatting, changing and displaying information in a networked environment. Information is stored and displayed as electronic pages that can contain numbers, text, pictures, graphics, sound and video. These web pages can be linked electronically to other web pages, independent of where they are located. Web pages can be viewed by any type of computer. In a survey of young people in Norway between the ages of 8 and 18, 78
per cent of the respondents said that they are involved in chatting. The use of chatting for communication is more common than the use of email in this age group. In the age group 17-18, all respondents said that they take part in chatting. The percentage reporting that they have been plagued while chatting was 9 per cent. Among chatters about one-third have met persons in reality that they first met while chatting (Medietilsynet, 2008).
