Report shows increase in Web use; more growth expected

By Debra Marisa Greene
Daily Bruin Contributor From e-mail to e-commerce, the 2001 UCLA
Internet Report released today seeks to explain the impact of these
“E’s” and the Internet on America. The report,
“Surveying the Digital Future,” found that 72.3 percent
of Americans use the Internet, an increase from 66.9 percent in
2000. It also found that Americans go online an average of 9.8
hours per week, up from 9.4 hours last year. The report surveyed
2,006 American Internet users and non-users. It focused on five
main areas: who is or is not online, media use and trust, consumer
behavior, communication patterns and social and psychological
effects. The first Internet signal ever sent was transmitted from
UCLA to Stanford University in September 1969. At that time, the
Internet was called Arpanet, and its use was limited to
universities for research and communication. Jeffrey Cole, director
of UCLA Center for Communication Policy and founder and organizer
of the World Internet Project ““ which studies the impact of
online technology worldwide ““ began the study after noting a
decline in television viewership. “This is a study that
should have been done of television,” Cole said.
“Television as well as the Internet are media that can tell
us a lot about human nature and people’s interests.”
Internet growth should continue every year until it reaches the 90
percent mark, Cole said. “This trend will continue for awhile
because of the increase in broadband use,” he said. Broadband
is faster than a dial-up connection, enabling users to go online
more frequently, he said. The study found that the five most
popular Internet activities are: e-mail and instant messaging, Web
surfing and browsing, buying online, finding entertainment
information and reading the news. The study also found that
Internet users watch 4.5 hours less television per week than
non-users. “Television is passive; the Internet is
interactive,” said Harlan Lebo, director of UCLA’s
University Communications, adding it will be interesting to see how
society changes from television viewers to Internet users.
First-year political science student Lauren Rafla uses the Internet
nearly every day. “Since I have been at school, e-mail and
instant messaging are easy ways to keep in touch with my
friends,” she said. Jenny Morales, a third-year American
literature student, agreed. “I have a lot of friend overseas.
It’s much cheaper and more convenient than using the
telephone,” she said. Additionally, the plunge in the economy
has contributed to American interest in obtaining news and other
services online, Cole said. E-commerce dropped slightly, pooling
48.9 percent of Internet users in 2001, compared to 50.7 percent in
2000. “There is no question that the economic decline in 2001
clearly has an impact on Internet commerce,” Cole said.
Another factor for the slight decline was the small number of
online merchants, since many went out of business, he said.
E-commerce should grow in the long term, because it is becoming
cheaper and easier, Cole said. But with the ease of online
purchases comes rising privacy concern with credit cards. “It
is important for people to be aware that credit cards have limited
liability,” Cole said. These fears extend beyond e-commerce.
“Privacy is a deep fear; Internet users feel like they are
being tracked down,” Cole said, citing that 56.5 percent of
Internet users and 74.5 percent of non-users felt that people who
go online put their privacy at risk. The report also found that
parents do not feel their children are spending too much time
online. Of those surveyed, 88.2 percent said children in their
household spend about the right amount of time or too little time
on the Internet. Sociology professor Nicky Hart was not surprised
with this figure. “The Internet is becoming a cultural
ideology, and it is an educational vehicle,” she said.
“There is a sense that kids without the Internet are losing
out.” The UCLA Center for Communication Policy organized the
project with sponsorship from America On-line Time Warner,
Microsoft and The Walt Disney Company. A UCLA Internet Report 2002
will be completed and released at this time next year, Lebo
said.