離開網路審查嚴密的中國大陸,來臺陸生能長時間使用不受限的網路收發資訊。在2014、2016和2018年,本研究各用一次佐以問卷調查的集體訪談,來探討他們來臺前、後的網路使用行為,結果發現陸生來臺後會大幅增用大陸封禁的臺灣或國際主要網站,並減用功能類似的大陸網站,而這種現象在三個調查時期並沒有顯著變化。陸生上網行為轉變的原因包括使用與滿足理論預測的社交、娛樂和生活等需求,對政治敏感議題的好奇則是另一重要因素。訪談結果也顯示陸生對臺灣自由的傳播環境之評價不高,而隨著兩岸關係的變化,晚近訪談中陸生的戒心日益明顯,其所反應的在臺上網體驗也每況愈下。
Studying in Taiwan has given mainland Chinese students an opportunity to use the Internet for information access and communication without censorship. This study conducted three rounds of group interviews along with surveys in 2014, 2016, and 2018 respectively to investigate the changes of the Internet uses of these students before and after coming to Taiwan and their motivations of the changes. The findings indicated that, during their stay in Taiwan, the access of popular foreign and Taiwanese websites blocked in China had increased significantly, while the access of similar websites in mainland China had decreased significantly. The changes were consistent among the three rounds of data collection. The main reasons for these changes are the practical needs for social contact, entertainment, the convenience of everyday life, etc., which correspond with the uses and gratifications theory. Another reason for such changes is the curiosity over politically sensitive issues. However, most mainland Chinese students in group interviews expressed their negative attitudes towards the free communication environment in Taiwan. Possibly due to the deteriorating cross-strait relations in recent years, those students who come to study in Taiwan later have become more cautious in their interview responses, and they have expressed more negative attitudes towards their experiences of the Internet uses in Taiwan.