The Internet is as important as air, water and food: survey

A full 19 per cent of Canadian post-secondary students and 16 per cent of Canadian employees surveyed by Cisco feel the Internet is as important as air, water, food and shelter. The 2011 Cisco Connected World Technology Report surveyed young professionals and college students from 14 different countries, including Canada. Other Canadian findings include: 

• 54 per cent of Canadian students and 60 per cent of Canadian employees surveyed said they could not live without the Internet 
• 20 per cent of Canadian students surveyed have not bought a physical book (excluding textbooks required for class) in a bookstore in more than two years 
• 70 per cent of Canadian respondents said the Internet is vitally important as part of their daily life’s sustenance (80 per cent globally) 
• more than half of the respondents said they could not live without the Internet and cite it as an “integral part of their lives,” in some cases more integral than cars, dating and partying 
• if forced to make a choice, 67 per cent of students would choose the Internet over a car (64 per cent globally) 
• 38 per cent of students (40 per cent globally) said the Internet is more important than dating, going out with friends or listening to music 
• 12 per cent of students (27 per cent globally) said staying updated on Facebook was more important than partying, dating, listening to music or hanging out with friends 
• in a given hour of school work, 90 per cent of students (84 per cent globally) reported being interrupted at least once by instant messaging, social media updates and phone calls. Twenty-three (19 per cent globally) reported interruptions six times or more 
• seven in 10 employees in this country and worldwide “friended” their managers and/or co-workers on Facebook.

Also read:
Give up your TV, phone or Internet?
IPTV - TV over the Internet with Bell Fibe
Is Internet Access A Human Right?: The Implications for the Rules of Access