Brits have an emotional connection to the Internet, with 62% suffering from anxiety when unable to connect, but most can’t tell the difference between the World Wide Web and the Internet, according to new research.
The study, from Tata Communications, whose network is used by over 24% of the world’s internet routes, reveals that half of the people in the UK surveyed don’t fully understand how the Internet works.
This is despite an emotional attachment to it, with 62% of Brits feeling angry and anxious or having a fear of missing out (FOMO) when unable to get online. The global report captured 9,417 responses from around the world including 1,770 internet users in the UK – to better understand how users engage and connect with the Internet today.
Overall, the results show Brits to be highly dependent on the Internet. 13% of UK internet users admit they couldn’t go an hour without being connected and 37% of 15-35 year olds use the Internet for six or more hours each day.
Other UK highlights from the report include:
• Over two thirds of UK respondents (70%) incorrectly think the World Wide Web (invented by Sir Tim Berners-Lee) and the Internet are one and the same
• The British sense of fair play extends online with 72% stating that the Internet belonged to everyone (as opposed to the correct answer of ‘each individual country’), second only to Germany, where 80% gave the same response
• The report reveals that Britons have an emotional connection to the Internet, with 62% suffering from FOMO, anger or anxiety when unable to connect
• As a result, Britons are using the Internet more than ever before, with 37% of 15-35 year olds using the Internet for six or more hours each day. When it comes to millennials, 5% of 15-25 year olds said they couldn’t survive even fifteen minutes without an internet connection
• Surprisingly, wearable technology was low on the list of innovations people are most looking forward to (15%), with downloads at light speed (35%) a clear leader; and smart cities (17%) proving more inspirational
• Interestingly, smart cities are seen as a bigger priority in the UK (17%) than in France and Germany; where only 10% of French respondents and 7% of Germans see smart cities as the most inspirational opportunity in the next three to five years
• On a positive note, the cloud, once considered a business-to-business technology, is well and truly mainstream with 74% of UK respondents able to correctly state that information in the cloud is actually held in data centres
In Germany, 38% of people questioned would happily give up alcohol for internet access. France remained true to its love of wine with only 27% willing to give up alcohol for internet access.
Julie Woods-Moss, Chief Marketing Officer and CEO of Tata Communications’ Nextgen Business, says, “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. The use of these technologies will continue to expand in unexpected ways, and organisations will need to continuously explore, adapt and embrace new digital realities to thrive in these digital times. A better understanding of the Internet is likely to improve the appreciation of the Internet and its capabilities leading to new and innovative ways to incorporate digital resources into daily activities.”
Globally, the biggest difference in opinion comes when the respondents from emerging markets and those from developed economies were compared in their vision of the most ‘inspirational opportunity’ that the Internet can enable in the next three to five years. The Asian countries (Singapore 32% and India 27%) picked smart cities as the most inspirational opportunity, whereas the U.S. (29%), UK (35%), France (25%) and Germany (45%) view light speed connectivity as the most inspirational.
As more and more global consumers demand greater flexibility with regards to their digital footprint (connected devices, mobility, access to higher bandwidth speed and capacity), Tata Communications recognises the critical role that the Internet plays in facilitating and controlling seamless access between the IT user and service provider (internal or external). Private and business consumers are looking for that ‘just works’ internet experience that allows them to seamlessly switch their home technology to the work place and vice versa. Tata Communications is creating an open communications infrastructure ecosystem that makes the Internet Fit for Business, ensuring high quality and predictable internet that delivers a robust digital ecosystem that’s equipped for the future and that can cope with customers’ demands of intelligence, scalability and reliability.
About the survey
Tata Communications conducted an online survey that comprised of 14 closed questions, aimed at capturing behavioural, technical and philosophical responses in relation to people’s associations, understanding and emotional connections to the Internet. A total of 9,417 respondents across six countries: India, Singapore, UK, USA, Germany and France participated in the survey. Out of the total number of respondents surveyed, 50% of them are women and 50% men. 33% of the respondents are from Asia (India and Singapore), 52% from Europe (UK, France and Germany) and 15% from North America with age ranges: 15-25=11%, 25-35=23%, 35-45=22%, 45-55=22%, 55-65=21%. The findings of this survey were then analysed as an aggregate of the responses and further based on age, gender and location to arrive at the insights.