Youth rates Internet as important as air, water and food, says Cisco survey
The modern youth believes the Internet is an integral part of their lives and it is as essential as air, water and food for survival, says a survey conducted by networking giant Cisco.
The 2011 Cisco Connected World Technology Report includes survey on some 1,441 college students, aged between 18-24 and 1,412 employees, aged between 21-29 in 14 countries, including the US,UK, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, France, China, Russia and India.
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In India, nearly 95 percent of the college students and young employees said in the survey they believed Internet is as important in their lives as food, water, air and shelter. The survey says Internet is no longer a “good to have”, and its now a “must have” facility. The change in perception is due to the rising trend of staying connected and sharing, thanks to social media and smart mobile devices.
The Cisco report gives an interesting insight on the phenomenon with a special focus on current and future employees and aims to identify the best ways to address their needs, expectations and issues. Nearly 64% of respondents said that they would prefer Internet over a car, while about 40 percent of respondents globally said that Internet is more important than dating or going out with friends or even listening to music.
The young generation loves social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. The report states nearly 27 percent of respondents said they preferred updating their status messages on Facebook than partying or going out with friends, if they were given a choice between them.
The survey also reveals the growing popularity of mobile devices among youth. The Cisco study says nearly 71 percent of respondents in India acknowledged the importance of mobile devices, which was only second to the UK’s 74 percent and ahead of nations like Australia (66 percent), China (62 percent) and the US (62 percent).
The Cisco study also disclosed that smartphones and laptops had replaced TV as the most important device in the lives of youth. The report further indicates that use of paper is declining among the youth as two out of five students have not bought a book from a bookstore in last two years.
On extensive usage of social networking site Facebook, Indian respondents topped the survey with some 92 percent students logging on their accounts daily, while one-third of them checked their walls at least five times a day. Moreover, some 85 percent of Indian employees acknowledged adding their office colleagues and managers as friends on Facebook.