| Summary: | This article takes as a point of departure the high position of Estonia in information society development and the optimistic public rhetoric and hype associated with it. The aim of the article is to look beyond the general statistics of Internet promotion and usage by asking what usage means in terms of fostering civic and political participation. We focus on practices of online content creation and consumption as a critical part of digital media literacies. The article explores how widespread these activities are among Estonian Internet users and how they are distributed between men and women, and between different generations (with a special emphasis on younger age groups). We also examine relationships between types of Internet users and practices of online content creation and consumption. The analysis is based on a representative population survey conducted in November 2005. The results show that the creation and consumption of online content varies greatly between age groups and types of Internet users. The current pattern of content creation practices does not encourage discussion of the manifold multimedia literacies and critical digital skills needed for successfully interacting in the wider social environment. The findings refer to online media as a means for practicing one’s creativity, as a tool for self-expression and as an environment with a rather limited array of cultural consumption. This situation does not justify the hype about the Estonian e-state used to support the claims of success in e-governance, e-education and related areas.
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