Traditional Habits Still Dominate Online Alternatives

The internet is becoming an increasingly vital part of our daily routine, but it still plays second fiddle to old-fashioned habits, according to a new report published this week.

A survey carried out by the Pew Internet and American Life Project shows that 88% of Americans online admit the internet plays an important part in their day-to-day schedules, with two-third saying it played a major role and without it life would be disrupted.

However, the survey also revealed that many people still prefer to do things the traditional way like going shopping to try on clothes, choosing birthday cards from shops and mailing them in a post-box, watching the news on television and listening to music via the radio.

Commenting on the findings the report’s author, Deborah Fallows, said: “In just a few years, the internet has made a strong mark on everyday life. Yet, it is mostly the case that internet users lean heavily towards the offline alternative for accomplishing the key tasks of their lives.”

For seventeen out of the eighteen activities surveyed, the ‘real world’ was chosen more often than the ‘virtual alternative’ but the single activity where online was found to outweigh the offline alternative is looking for maps or driving directions, with 87% always opting for the internet.

The Pew Internet and American Life Project www.pewinternet.org

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