What did we do with ourselves before we had the Internet? Even among people who were adults by the time the Internet became commonplace in most homes have trouble remembering what it was like when not remembering the actor who starred in a particular movie simply meant carrying on in ignorance rather than grabbing a smartphone or laptop to clear up the debate. These days, many of us are wired to the Internet almost full-time. We take the World Wide Web with us to work, to school, on buses, in cars and even in the bathroom and to bed.
Where are people spending all of that time though, and what are they doing? People aren't just writing emails; they're buying things and downloading books, music and movies. They're connecting with friends and families on social networks and sharing photos from vacations. They're job-hunting, looking for something to cook for dinner and settling that argument about what year that one television show debuted.
To complicate matters further, where people go breaks down along lines of culture and nationality. Even within the United States, different age groups and people with different interests within those age groups all inhabit different corners of the Internet. Outside the United States, the diversity is much wider. As large and popular as a site like Facebook is worldwide, countries with large populations like Russia and China have thriving social networks of their own.
In other words, the "World" part of World Wide Web is becoming more accurate than ever as access to the Internet becomes more and more common not just in Tokyo and London, New York and Rio de Janerio but in places like Accra and Kathmandu. And it's not just urban centers; access is making its way into more and more remote areas.
So, where are people hanging out online? And how does that break down among different countries? Who likes to shop, who likes to connect with others, who likes to consume media and where is it all being done?
Where are people spending all of that time though, and what are they doing? People aren't just writing emails; they're buying things and downloading books, music and movies. They're connecting with friends and families on social networks and sharing photos from vacations. They're job-hunting, looking for something to cook for dinner and settling that argument about what year that one television show debuted.
To complicate matters further, where people go breaks down along lines of culture and nationality. Even within the United States, different age groups and people with different interests within those age groups all inhabit different corners of the Internet. Outside the United States, the diversity is much wider. As large and popular as a site like Facebook is worldwide, countries with large populations like Russia and China have thriving social networks of their own.
In other words, the "World" part of World Wide Web is becoming more accurate than ever as access to the Internet becomes more and more common not just in Tokyo and London, New York and Rio de Janerio but in places like Accra and Kathmandu. And it's not just urban centers; access is making its way into more and more remote areas.
So, where are people hanging out online? And how does that break down among different countries? Who likes to shop, who likes to connect with others, who likes to consume media and where is it all being done?
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