The internet was originally developed as a communication tool for the military, but since its invention, it has evolved far beyond that. Given that there are roughly 2 billion internet users worldwide, the reasons people go online are many and varied. To list off all of them would take more time than any of us have, so here are few of the primary reasons people go online.
To Socialize
The internet has somewhat turned the world into a global village, making it possible to chat to someone halfway around the worlds as if they were standing in front of you. Of thousands of social media sites and apps, YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram are the top four. Studies show that when you add up the minutes per day over a lifetime, the average person will spend roughly 5 years of their life on social media.
To Communicate
From email and instant messaging to video chat and VOIP, communication is a big part of the internet. One of the few ways the internet is actually used for its intended purpose, communication has become far more efficient and convenient.
Information and Education
The search for information online has a massive scope – school children researching science projects, parents looking into their kids latest rash before rushing them to the doctor, or CEOs looking at the latest market research in order to run their business more efficiently.
As for education, correspondence or distance learning is more efficient and more accessible through the internet, and online courses more widely available. Private tutoring can also be far more cost effective online, as can web lecture – there is no space constraint from a lecture hall if everyone is in their own home.
Buying and Selling
From the massive moguls like Amazon and eBay to smaller local buy and sells or Facebook pages, people have definitely caught onto the attraction of shopping from the comfort of their own home.
Business
The internet is a great place to find customers, advertise your business, and in many cases operate a business remotely. Online advertising offers more penetration than most other forms of advertising and can be more cost effective and easier to do yourself, as opposed to paying an advertising company.
Video
YouTube offers a world with ever decreasing attention spans bite-sized entertainment. Netflix and other sites offer movies and series on demand and are quickly catching up in popularity to traditional television.
Hobbies
Garden projects, quilting, scrapbooking. The internet is jam packed with blogs and websites full of information and ideas. There are even sites to help you find these sites – Pinterest being the prime example. With the net at your disposal, you won’t be short of ideas for your next DIY project.
Though the availability internet access varies somewhat from urban to rural areas, and finding a good Internet Service Provider, such as Wave Direct, may be harder for those in rural areas than for those in urban areas, needs and interests waver very little.
