Information and Communication Technologies and Sustainable Livelihood Opportunities: A Study of Information Behavior Among Malaysian Youth

Abstract

Information and communication technology (ICT) is a significant instrument for youth empowerment, since it allows instant interaction, thus enabling information needs and community development. This study aims to explore the cumulative knowledge on how youths use ICT as an essential part of their daily lives. A quantitative study was carried out and the data were analyzed by the structural equation modeling technique (SEM). The results confirmed that information needs and sharing have a positive influence on the sustainable livelihood of Malaysian youth. However, the findings also reveal that there was no significant relation between two of these predictors (i.e. information seeking and information source) and the sustainable livelihoods of Malaysian youth. Due to its unique perspective, this study contributes to the existing literature on youth information behavior in ICT environments.