MOBILE PHONES, INTERNET, AND GENDER IN MYANMAR Google There was higher usage and awareness of Google among urban smartphone owners. Many rural respondents in the qualitative research stated that they did not know what Google was, although some of them used the app to search for news/topics. It seems that the concept of a search engine and what Google offers are not widely understood, since many respondents had not actively tried to use Google to search for any information they were interested in. MOBILE PHONES, INTERNET, AND GENDER IN MYANMAR “I pressed once Google accidentally after others mentioned that I would find all celebrity news there. I have never thought of searching there for other topics, too. I thought it has only celebrity news.” HV rural, 21, mobile owner, working, SEC D/E Other apps Many used one to two Myanmar language news apps, although usage is more prevalent among Yangon respondents. TZ is popular because it shows news sorted by topic (e.g. politics, entertainment) and links to the original media house website, thus providing a high level of credibility. Smartphone owners in Yangon used more apps than those in Pantanaw. Some had English dictionaries or special interest apps (a pregnant woman had many pregnancy and child rearing apps) installed. Others used YouTube, Tango, or Skype as well. • Data service users have limited digital skills and, as a result, a limited understanding of what the ‘internet’ is. Their data services usage was largely limited to one to three data services, mainly social media and calling apps. • Network quality improvements are needed to ensure rural users have sufficient connectivity to use data services. 5.3.4 Experiences and perceptions of mobiles and social media Using a (smart)phone in itself was not a cause for concern among respondents, but there were concerns that seemed to stem from hearsay about ‘online flirting’ through social media. Many qualitative respondents had heard of ‘stories’ of marriages ending due to extra-marital affairs started up online. Many women and men had heard of people meeting online through Viber or Facebook, although few had directly experienced it. Some respondents had also heard about people being deceived by others using false identities/photos when flirting online. Women who were more versatile and had a diverse internet experience were more self-confident. To them, the advantages of using the internet outweighed the negatives. Many were aware of ‘inappropriate’ (i.e. sexual) content, but they just ignored it. Rural females tended to be shyer than their urban peers. One had encountered unwanted approaches by male strangers, especially on Viber. It made her feel intimidated, so she decided to delete Viber. On the other hand, some respondents seem to have a more playful attitude to flirting and embrace the increased opportunity to meet new friends. Some women had experienced ‘wrong number’ callers, but this was not widely perceived as an issue. One woman reported that a male stranger continued to call her, so she blocked his number. Men seem to have less of an issue with unknown online contacts, although a few feel that online flirting could become potentially harmful as it could destroy a marriage. One rural respondent’s Facebook account that was installed by a phone shop had been hacked. Those with more in-depth internet experience were rather concerned about the spread of rumours on Facebook. For most, privacy was a little known concept. Respondents were not aware of any privacy settings that could be used to enhance the safety of their internet experience. “I want to learn about the internet, about health and news but I don’t want to see inappropriate things.” HV rural, female owner, 52, working, SEC C/D “The wife used the internet and the husband caught her flirting. Now they don’t use the phone anymore.” FGD rural, female non-owner, 18–29, working, SEC D/E “Some young singles do inappropriate things. They start a relationship without ever having seen each other. They use fake photos but in reality they are ugly.” FGD rural, female non-owner, 18–29, working, SEC D/E “The internet has many good things but also things children shouldn’t know. There are many rumors.” FGD Yangon, female owner, 46–65, working, SEC B/C 60 61