Across the world , internet access is to die for

For some, the Internet is the be-all and end-all of life. Across the world, many are ready to forgo alcohol and in India there are men willing to give up sex in return for a net connection.

The startling finds are from a report of 9,417 people conducted by Tata Communications across six countries on habits, attitudes, understanding and expectations of Internet users. The study ‘Connected World II’ – surveyed a majority of 2,117 from India, while the remaining was spread across France, Germany, Singapore, the US, and the UK.

Denial mode About 33 per cent more Indian men are ready to give up sex than Indian women, while about 28 per cent of the global respondents were willing to give up alcohol for an Internet connection. In an indication of the growing importance of the net, the survey revealed that 46 per cent of Indian respondents spend 6 hours or more a day using the Internet (in comparison to 29 per cent globally).

Disconnection woes An alarming 82 per cent admit to the ‘Fear of Missing Out’ (FOMO) when not connected, which is the highest globally. “The Internet has truly changed the way we function. As technologies evolve and adapt, there is a huge potential for the Internet to affect different aspects of life, economy and society, said Julie Woods-Moss, Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Executive Officer of Tata Communications’ Nextgen Business.

Although, Indian men spend more time on the net than surveyed women, it is women (21 per cent) who outdo men (16 per cent) in feeling anxious or lost when not connected to the Internet. About 56 per cent of Indian respondents admit that they can’t survive more than five hours without internet connectivity. On the technical understanding of the net, the study reveals that 48 per cent have a realistic view compared with Germany (26 per cent), UK (30 per cent), US (28 per cent), France (43 per cent) or Singapore (38 per cent).

Where is the net Indian respondents understand that a lot of information resides in the cloud, with 69 per cent aware that the cloud resides in data centres.

The study also discloses that tablets and smartphones are rapidly replacing television as the preferred screen as nearly twice as many surveyed Indians (43 per cent) are willing to give up television for the Internet, compared to Americans (17 per cent) and Europeans (22 per cent) respondents. Despite the country’s dependence on digital, 60 per cent of Indians equate the Internet with the World Wide Web. This showcases a gap in the actual understanding of the Internet, it said.

At present, there are about 2.5 billion people, one-third of the world’s total population, connected to the Internet. By 2020, the number of connected devices is expected to rise to 26 billion. “With so many users checking in online each day, it may come as a surprise that there is still a huge gap in the public’s knowledge and understanding of the Internet,” it said adding, only half of all global respondents could accurately identify where the Internet resides (in network connected data centres).

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