Internet – “Social Life 2.0”

An interesting finding has come from a study conducted by Cisco. The study presents how fundamental internet has become in the human life today. It has reached the importance level of air, water, food and shelter. It has become a vital part of human life sustainability. All other loves are now secondary compared to it. We can say that we are living in “Social Life 2.0”.

One of every three college students and employees surveyed globally (33%) believes the Internet is a fundamental resource for the human race – as important as air, water, food and shelter. About half (49% of college students and 47% of employees) believe it is "pretty close" to that level of importance. Combined, four of every five college students and young employees believe the Internet is vitally important as part of their daily life's sustenance.

More than half of the respondents (55% of college students and 62% of employees) said they could not live without the Internet and cite it as an "integral part of their lives."

If forced to make a choice between one and the other, the majority of college students globally – about two of three (64%) – would choose an Internet connection instead of a car.

Two of five college students surveyed globally (40%) said the Internet is more important to them than dating, going out with friends, or listening to music.

Whereas previous generations preferred socializing in person, the next generation is indicating a shift toward online interaction. More than one in four college students globally (27%) said staying updated on Facebook was more important than partying, dating, listening to music, or hanging out with friends.

Two-thirds of students (66%) and more than half of employees (58%) cite a mobile device (laptop, smartphone, tablet) as "the most important technology in their lives."

Smartphones are poised to surpass desktops as the most prevalent tool from a global perspective, as 19% of college students consider smartphones as their "most important" device used on a daily basis, compared to 20% for desktops – an indication of the growing trend of smartphone prominence and expected rise in usage by the next generation of college graduates upon entering the workforce.

Both surveys indicate that the TV's prominence is decreasing among college students and young employees in favor of mobile devices like laptops and smartphones. Globally, fewer than one in 10 college students (6%) and employees (8%) said the TV is the most important technology device in their daily lives. As TV programming and movies become available on mobile devices, this downward trend is expected to continue.

Only one of 25 college students and employees (4%) surveyed globally said the newspaper is their most important tool for accessing information.

One of five students (21%) have not bought a physical book (excluding textbooks required for class) in a bookstore in more than two years – or never at all.

About nine of 10 (91%) college students and employees (88%) globally said they have a Facebook account – of those, 81 percent of college students and 73% of employees check their Facebook page at least once a day. One of those three (33%) said they check at least five times a day.

Reference: Cisco Connected World Technology Report 2011