A Powerpoint presentation summarising the results of the first UCLA World Internet Report is “now available”:http://ccp.ucla.edu/downloads/World_Internet_Project_Media.ppt. The main conclusion the media seems to be touting is, “the typical internet user, far from being a geek, shuns television and actively socialises with friends”:http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/01/19/1074360689758.html. Now don’t you feel better?
From my persepective one of the most interesting (if expected) findings is that, “in all of the countries in the World Internet Project, the wealthiest quarter of the population is much more likely to use the Internet than the poorest quarter of the population.” That holds true even when the poorest quarter of the population is still not that poor by world standards – only 1/4 of the UK’s poorest, and one in ten of Italy’s poorest are online.
People also don’t buy the argument that the Internet helps people have more of a say on political matters: “Most people do not believe that the Internet gives people more say about what the government does. Only 8.6% of Hungarians agree or strongly agree that by using the Internet people can have more say about what the government does. At the other extreme, 37.1% of Italians agree or strongly agree with this statement” (though this includes people who are not online).
Thanks to Many-to-Many for the links
