Future of the Internet

The online world, as experts agree is a good factor in improving social relations. 

The Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project and Elon University’s Imagining the Internet Center just released their fourth “Future of the Internet” survey, the topic of which was “The Future of Social Relations.”

The survey determined two different views from respondents:

“In 2020, when I look at the big picture and consider my personal friendships, marriage and other relationships, I see that the internet has mostly been a positive force on my social world. And this will only grow more true in the future. ”

and…

“In 2020, when I look at the big picture and consider my personal friendships, marriage and other relationships, I see that the internet has mostly been a negative force on my social world. And this will only grow more true in the future. ” (http://mashable.com/2010/07/02/pew-study-web-social-relations/)

         The graphic shows two different group of 371 experts from which 85% felt that their lives were improved by the web. These experts regularly participate in surveys. However it is important to understand that most of the experts are frequent internet users.

“According to Pew, “50% have been using the Internet since 1992 or earlier, with 11% actively involved online since 1982 or earlier. When asked for their primary area of Internet interest, 15% of the survey participants identified themselves as research scientists; 14% as business leadersor entrepreneurs; 12% as consultants or futurists, 12% as authors, editors or journalists; 9% as technology developers or administrators; 7% as advocates or activist users; 3% as pioneers or originators; 2% as legislators, politicians or lawyers; and 25% specified their primary area of interest as ‘other."

         The respondents stated both positive and negative experiences with the internet. Positive experiences include meeting spouses, fostering relationships with distant relatives while negative responses include loss of privacy. Immigrants that left their families behind were able to reconnect via social networks. Single people met spouses or earned dated through dating websites. Gamblers feel that its easier to gamble online rather than in person. All these people used online entertainment sources in their lives. 

Faiqa Imtiaz