Author : Ismail Bin Brahim

Summary : The Malaysian government's serious commitment to make computers more accessible to all would mean more personal computers are expected to move into the Malaysian homes. Since computers are effective time-consuming devices which force users to reallocate their limited time for doing various activities, computing particularly in the home, has the potential to change the way family members interact with each other. However, despite the increasing importance of computers, little attention seems to have been paid towards understanding computer use in relation to the household. This study was conducted specially to determine (1) the characteristics of home computer users, (2) the relationships between shifts in family's time-allocation patterns and indicators of computer use (actual time spent on home computing, frequency of computer use, and number of software packages used), and (3) the relationship between home computing and family communication. This study was conducted on active computer users, representing the principal users of family computers, on internet services and other software packages, and/or both packages. A total of 109 individuals from the Klang Valley participated in this study.