What Would You Do?
For those who come looking for a short, thoughtful read, a blogging life discussion, or a way to gradually ease back into the week, I offer this Blogging Question. It’s NOT Hypothetical, tonight it’s a statement of fact.
More Net users would rather give up their cell phones and TVs than their access to the Net.
Internet users are a loyal bunch. The Center for the Digital Future at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School asked Internet users what they would do if forced to give up technologies. Thirty-nine percent of Net users would first abandon their cell phones, 33 percent would switch off their TVs, but only 28 percent would be willing to give up the Net.
So are they talking about you?
Because, yes they are talking about me.
–ME “Liz” Strauss
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Oh, they’re talking about me too! I can go for days or even weeks without turning on the TV. I sometimes leave home without noticing whether or not I’ve got my cell phone with me. But if I don’t have access to the Internet, I feel like I’m totally disconnected from everything. I need the Internet!!
Hi Panasianbiz,
We’ve turned our giant screen into the monitor it can be. We only use it for movies. It’s the Internet and movies and occasionally the History channel at our house. Guess you and I have a lot in common. 🙂
I would keep the cell phone and drop the home phone.
I would lose Instant Messenger in all its forms.
I would lose network TV and keep TIVO for cable – no commercials.
I would lose commercial radio and keep the iPod.
I’m not willing to lose the net. Too much good stuff on it.
Have a great night, everyone!
Scot
Hey Scot,
Keep the cell phone, me too, but let’s agree to keep them away from people who don’t need to hear our conversations. 🙂
With you totally on the rest . . .
Definitely talking about me, could care less about the television and don’t own a cell…
This monster is indispensable.
Interesting study Liz, good find.
Robert,
Not half as interesting as a guy who writes poetry and doesn’t own a cell who has poetry ringtones for folks to download. 🙂
I use my cellphone to work and watch TV to go to bed, but my Internet connection is the last of my technology items I would give up on.
BTW Liz, you should try using cocomment to track your comments all around the blogosphere.
Listen, I blame that on Char.
Scott’s reading my mind –
1.) Ditch the land line.
2.) I’ll give up the other computers and use the laptop.
3.) With my pda, cell – plus tivo with a dish I’m golden. Ah life is good.
Until college football season and then I’ll be forced to hang out at the sports bar. Worse things could happen.
Force me to give up one of the above and I guess the PDA is history. Forget me knowing anyone’s birthday again ever. And OH yes, the iPod SO stays.
And when Al Gore invents something that lets me install a chip and stream the net directly to my brain – it’s a done deal.
Hi Ohad,
I love my Internet dearly, as you do. I have coComment as well, but I decided when I moved to my new computer not to enable it. . . . but instead to allow my comments to occur as real conversations do — when I am actually there. It has to do with my decision to give up multitasking and to live my life as one person at a time . 🙂
Robert,
I was teasing. I still think it’s fun, though!
Hi Susan,
Looks like you’re a totally wired or wifi-ed lady. I’m giggling at the picture of you without those. 🙂
hey liz,
now that you can play movies and listen to music and watch live games on your laptop and even have pc to phone conversation don’t you think its makes sense to dump your mobile and tv and not internet connection(and pc/laptop attached to it)?
Yep, Jack. That’s the truth.
Which leads to a discussion that’s happening other places around the blogosphere . . . what will advertisers do when everyone moves to the Internet? Scot Karp brought up the question regarding Media 2.0 . . . What if no one is willing to pay for content anymore? What if writing content becomes like writing poetry — everyone does it without expectation of being paid?
We’ve already begun to reach the point where having the infrastructure and staff to produce the content of old media is actually a burden when compared with what one individual can do on the Internet.
Liz,
I think I’ve heard about people having a life,
and yet I am not sure how to get one of my own 🙂
As someone who forgets where he left his keys, keeping track of my comments is getting harder every day which is why i use CoComment.
Hi Ohad,
I’ve decided that coComments overwhelms me even more than not keeping track of where a conversation goes. Most conversations do fine without me. I’ve found the blogosphere, like the world, keeps on turning without my 2 cents. *she giggles*
I know what you mean about having a life. I’ve heard those people aren’t bloggers.
I used to have a life, but I traded it in for a faster connection and a better monitor.
-ancient Computer Nerd saying
What’s sad it that I’m sitting here weighing whether that would be a winning trade in my case. 🙂
Oh, I’ve got loads of old computer nerd sayings that apply to net junkies in general, like the one that attempts to explain the concept of “Vacation” to a computer geek…
That sounds like a good one . . .
From “How to talk to your computer nerd” (Usenet, Ca. 1993, to the best of my recollection)
Q: “I’ve heard some of the other people in the company talk about something they call a ‘vacation’. Should I have one too?”
A: Trust me, you wouldn’t like it.
-“Really? But the people who’re talking about getting theirs sound like they’re looking forward to it.”
A: That’s because they don’t know any better. Remember last year when the server room was being redone and we had to unplug the mainframe?
-“Yes. That was horrible – I couldn’t connect to the ‘net for two whole weeks, and I had to hide from Human Resources to keep them from forcing me out into the sunlight on something they called a ‘Company Picnic’ the whole time”
A: Well, that’s what a vacation is like – it’s all a plot to make you unplug from the ‘net and go out into the sunlight.
-“Augh! That’s horrible! I’m NEVER taking a ‘Vacation’, and you can’t make me!”
Excellent! That sounds like me, exactly — except I want a beach and about five years. Then I’ll go.