A new survey by the Oxford Internet Institute has revealed that nearly half of internet users in Britain are ‘Next Generation Users’, who routinely access the internet on the move using portable devices.
The researchers defined ‘Next Generation Users’ as people who access the internet using smart phones, tablets, and readers, or own three or more computers. They found that 44 percent of Britons fall into this category which is more than double the proportion found in 2007.
The study also looked at the type of people who were likely to use the internet in this way and found that annual income more than age determines who the Next Generation Users are likely to be.
Among students, the research found that 52 percent were part of this ‘Next Generation’ which was almost identical to the 51 per cent of ‘employed’ internet users of all ages who were Next Generation Users too.
Report author Professor William Dutton from the OII said, ‘There is too much focus on the sales of new products, like smart phones and tablets that miss the big picture captured by the Next Generation User.
‘The rise of Next Generation Users is reshaping how people use the Internet. The internet has become a central part of their lives, particularly in how they inform and entertain themselves. These users are not just passive consumers either; they actively create content for others.’
Co-author Dr Grant Blank from the OII said, ‘We have to think about more than simple access. How people make use of their access also matters a lot. Next Generation Users are changing lives for themselves and others through the use of multiple portable devices to stay connected with the internet, and this is creating a new style of interaction.’
One ‘Next Generation User’ and second year Historian, Elle Costigan, commented, “I have recently broken my blackberry and I feel totally lost without constant internet access for Facebook and BBM.”
Another second year Univ student who recently found himself literally lost on the way back from Lola Lo said, “after converting a good proportion of my student loan into Jagerbombs I sobered up in a cul-de-sac somewhere in the vicinity of Pembroke, and I’d probably still be there were it not for Steve Jobs.”
The report also looked into other aspects of internet usage and found, perhaps unsurprisingly, that young people are much more likely to use the internet. 99 percent of people aged between 14 and 17 use the internet, compared with only one-third of people over the age of 65.
Overall, internet use in Britain has grown from 59 per cent in 2003 to 73 per cent in 2011.
Another key finding was that more women than men engaged in social networking. 63 percent of female internet users compared with 57 percent of men who accessed the internet.
