Abstract

Big Data symbolizes a new era for global economies and companies in modern world. According to data experts, data produced in the last century is more than that produced throughout human history. Furthermore the data considered digital waste until few years ago is now called as the commodity of new era. Ability of process more data is considered a big commercial opportunity for many sectors like marketing, security, health, education etc. So what does this concept mean for young communicators as a group that is one of the most interested in large data sets in the future? This study aimed to analyze the thoughts and feelings of young communicators about Big Data concept and its usage areas. The study was conducted with participation of 110 undergraduate students that had never heard of the term ‘Big Data’ in the age range of 18 to 26 from Faculty of Communication in Ege University. The 2013 BBC documentary called ‘The Age of Big Data’ was chosen as the material for the informing process. Data collection took place at two stages. Structured questionnaire was applied for the first stage. Then 14 volunteer participants were selected from within the same group and a 35 to 65 minute semi-structured interviews took place with participants for the second stage. The collected data was analyzed using the NVivo8 Program. Results revealed that participants had the feeling of excitement as well as fear regarding the era of big data. Whether who accessed the data or not and how the data was used have been identified as main concerns. On the other hand a significant number of participants was indicated that they could use Big Data for own favor or personal benefit if they were have full access. This study has provided to see the initial reaction and perception of the group who heard Big Data concept for the first time. In order to understand more about public perceptions related to Big Data similar studies are need to be applied on the groups with different socio-economic characteristics.