Slashdot Mirror
Internet Plays A Large Role For U.S. Citizens
Homework Help writes "The latest U.S. Census Bureau report suggests that the Internet has become an integral part of the American lifestyle and economy." From the article: "It shows 40 percent of U.S. adults used the Web to obtain news, weather or sports information, a dramatic increase from the 7 percent who surfed in 1997, when the bureau conducted a similar study. The report also found that nearly half of adults, 47 percent, used the Internet to find information on products or services. About one-third reported purchasing a product or service online, compared with only 2 percent who did so in 1997."
TV also popular.
Radio popular, but not as popular as it was in the 1930s.
NFL football quite popular as a spectator sport.
What the hell? The last time they conducted a simular study was 1997? 96-97 was when the Internet really started to take off. How can they expect to show any kind of useful information if they don't do a study like that every year or every other year. Its like saying that in 1905 only 7% of people used cars and now in 2005 99% of people use them, so cars play a big role in people's lives.
I thought our government was gathering more useful statistics, but I guess not.
And she totally disagrees. She's gonna go post about it on her livejournal, then I'll submit it to Slashdot.
I'd like to see how this compares with other developed countries, especially ones in which broadband penetration is much higher, like in South Korea, Japan, most of Scandinavia, and to a bit less extent, most of Western Europe. If the US has 40%, what nation probably has the highest percentage? Sweden?
Take off every sig. For great justice.
Can someone tell me where I can get a copy of this internet thing? I don't wanna be left out...
Be a real patriot: Question authority. Think for yourself. Formulate your own conclusions.
The actual report can be found here (PDF warning).
SIG: TAKE OFF EVERY 'CAPTAIN'!!
The internet plays a large role in every US citizen's life. Virtually every bank, insurance company, restaurant, factory, school or other organization relies on the the net in one form or another to function productively (or function at all in some cases). Just because not everyone making use of those pieces of our culture and economy directly use the web doesn't mean that they're un-impacted by the internet.
To the extent that we have all sorts of just-in-time deliveries to factories, package tracking, widely accessible databases, and all sorts of other efficiency-enabling goodies that rely on internetworking, the thrust of the summary sells it very short. Sure, web/e-mail/IM use by individuals is way, way up from 5 or 10 years ago - but the country's use of the internet, down at the economic and government plumbing level, affects everyone, and in ways that most people don't appreciate until it breaks.
Don't disappoint your bird dog. Go to the range.
The average person spends about nine hours a day using some type of media, which is arguably in excess of anything we would have envisioned 10 years ago. It includes television, books, magazines, cell phones, the Internet, instant messaging, e-mail and radio ... full report is here
The important thing is not to stop questioning --Albert Einstein.
Does anybody make (or buy) maps of small towns anymore?
Yes, paper maps do exist for both large and small cities. In my area, these maps are mostly free because they are supported by advertising local businesses.
As nice as google maps or other software packages are, its a lot lighter to carry a real map than a laptop, or a lot less expensive than buying a portable GPS map unit.
and what about the people who can't afford internet access? Should we just forget about them?
Go. To. The. Library.
Or, are you suggesting that poor families that live too far from a library instead be provided with dial-up ISP accounts, a telephone line if they don't have one, a computer they clearly don't know how to use, and ongoing tech support such as will clearly be needed when someone who has never used these things is suddenly depending on them to "get a good job."
Or... perhaps those parents should be encouraging their kids to pay attention in school? There are countless ways for schools to get hold of free computer hardware and net access, but most don't have the staff needed to supervise/train students in the continual use thereof. If you're posting this comment, right now, about how I should be listening to the "clarion call" that you're mentioning... first tell me how many schools you've visited with that rebuilt Ubunto P3-450 and a $9 donation to cover that month's dial-up access for the machine?
And... minorities? Do you really think that lack of experience online, and lack of personally owned net-connected workstations is limited somehow to people of one color or another? Are you that race-fixated? Ever driven through Appalachia? Wake up, man, and talk some less myopic, skin-color-driven smack so that you can be taken seriously. And explain what you've done before telling me what I should do.
Don't disappoint your bird dog. Go to the range.
I love it when people toss about references with no understanding of their origin or meaning. When Marx initially wrote about religion being the opiate, he was actually paying it a (albeit backhanded) compliment, that awareness of a religious idea can steer people toward a more noble life. It makes the oppressed fell better about their condition.
Marx figured religion would become obsolete anyway after the Revolution[tm].
Now even if we take the fully negative context that has been imposed on the quote over the years, your previous statement does not add up:
Seriously, the Internet makes it almost too easy to access information. If I want pizza, I go online and order it. If I want a movie, I go online and order it. To submit homework, I go online to submit it. To get a job, I email applications and lookup company profiles on the internet.
And where's the downside you are seeing? The Marx quote is sometimes applied to television and other mediums that tend to make people passive and distracted. What you describe is a handy and practical tool, and somehow this offends you.
So what's really interesting here is that the Marx quote, in its original context, might actually apply to some extent to the Internet, but not for the reasons you think.
Not necessarily. There are plenty of "mature" technologies that are not a part of the average household (own any small planes?). Whether a technology gains widespread adoption depends on the cost and appeal to consumers. The internet could have easily remained just a geeky way of exchanging research information if it had not been adopted for commercial use.