News Flash: People Find the Internet, Cellphones and Handhelds Important
Coming as a surprise to no one except for the people who write the reports and studies, a third of Americans find the Internet, cellphones, and handheld PDAs indispensible, according a new Pew Internet and American Life study. And since the Post calls these people "technology geeks," it is clear the geeking of America has been thriving. One piece of news that will be quoted in PowerPoint presentation from today till the next study is the fact that the so-called "tech elite" spends 39% more than average Americans on things like broadband Internet, satellite/cable TV, cell phones and the like ($169, over $122). And the introduction to the actual study is fabulous:
For many Americans, having the latest electronic gadget or experimenting with the newest tech fad is a habit they develop at an early age and never break. Although these ardent technophiles are a minority of the population, their trendsetting ways often ripple widely in society. Many people, in time, wind up following the technological trail cleared by these pioneers. In fact, Americans have become steady adopters of devices and services that enable them to gather and distribute information, and these have given us flexibility in how we communicate, altered the patterns of how we stay in touch with others, and even influenced the content of our messages.
Read the Pew Internet and American Life Study here. And share your snickers here on our comments.
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