Our Broadband Habits
With global Internet use surging well beyond the 1.5 billion mark, it’s clear that broadband has become a part of our daily lives. Consider this: from 1997 to 2007 Internet subscriptions tripled in the U.S. alone, with unprecedented numbers using high-speed connections. Given the ubiquitous nature of this technology, it comes as no surprise that our habits have changed in a hyper-connected way.
For example, phones are not just for making calls anymore. For many, these Internet-enabled devices serve as an alarm clock, navigation system, email device, newspaper, music maker, shopping and financial assistant, as well as a link to Facebook and Twitter. Indeed, social media has helped fuel our hyper-connectivity. New stats released by Forrester Research indicate that more than four in five U.S. adults online use social media at least once a month, with the 35 and older set rapidly adopting the technology.
In addition to triggering new marketing tactics, social networking has reinvigorated online gaming. A few games on Facebook have attracted 12 million monthly active players, and the gaming industry projects $600 million in revenue from social networks this year – a giant leap from $150 million in 2008. These games are meant to be consumed quickly – a trend that extends to Twitter’s 140 character messages, and the desire to digest information quickly.
While younger generations gravitate toward online gaming, older groups often tap Internet technology for online searches. The sheer volume of ever-changing information online has prompted individuals to search the same key words repeatedly over the same day – a tactic that often produces different results, and is emblematic of the rapid evolution of online information.
Is all of this connectivity hurting our productivity? According to the University of Melbourne, those of us who use the Internet at work for personal reasons are actually 9% more productive than those who don’t. It’s an exciting broadband world out there, and we’re participating with vigor.
Tags:@reginahopper, Broadband, Regina Hopper, Wireless
