Trust Over the Net: The Case of Israeli Youth

The Internet has been highly acclaimed for its innovation, financial and cultural benefits; however, a major obstacle to its expansion lies in the question of trust relations. This paper focuses on trust-building over the Internet among Israeli youth and how youth constructs trust over the Internet. The study is based on 38 in-depth interviews with adolescents ages 12-21 and an analysis of chat rooms, personal homepages, blogs and popular youth newsgroups. Findings uncover three strategies for identifying trust among youth—control over anonymity, “technological affordances” for maintaining trust, and continuity and durability of online relationships. Findings show the Internet’s potential for fostering social integration and reveal the ways youth communicate and fraternize in contemporary society.