News

Britons Say Digital Community is now more Important that Local Community, PC World Study Reveals (30/11/2006)

* National study confirms the growing benefits of the digital community
* "Over the net" is now as important as "over the fence"
* Study finds that "going online is the new going out" for a generation of digitally enabled teenagers as parents identify the emergence of "websenteeism"

A study of 10,000 Britons commissioned by PC World reveals that two-thirds (65%) of the UK population have a sense of belonging to their digital community versus fewer than half of Britons (44%) who feel they belong to their local community. The finding underscores the fundamental importance of the Internet as a means of keeping in touch with friends and family on a regular basis. The findings also demonstrate the impact of the rapid shift in the use of the PC, which has transformed from a business worktool to a multi-functional device at the heart of the home in a generation.

"This study confirms that where friendships are concerned, "over the net" is now as important as "over the fence" in our lives," said Keith Jones, managing director of PC World Stores Group. "There is no question that technology offers new and exciting ways to create and sustain friendships, alongside our traditional relationships with trusty neighbours with their cup of sugar."

He added: "Many local communities are also increasingly adopting the digital trend, with local services becoming increasingly digitised, enabling us to spend less time queuing and more time with our families. This has enormous social benefits for all of us, as we become increasingly time poor."

The PC World study, carried out by YouGov, found that millions of Britons are now using the Internet, often more so than their local community, to meet people and seek advice. Almost half (43%) turn to the Internet for help and advice and a similar proportion (46%) log on to interact with other people. In contrast, only 15% of those questioned participate in local activities or events and only one in twenty turns to the surrounding community for help and advice.

"These findings mark a sea change in the role of the PC and prove beyond question that our growing reliance on technology is redrawing the social map of the UK," Keith Jones added. "In the 1980's Desmond Morris hailed the Filofax as the new community. In less than a generation, the PC and Internet access have moved to the heart of the Connected Home and have had a fundamental impact on the way that we communicate with friends and family, with our communities now extending throughout the world. With the PC celebrating its 25th anniversary, digital citizenship is rapidly redefining our sense of society."

The Internet is also creating a new phenomenon amongst today's digitally enabled teenagers. Parents anecdotally report the growth of the phenomenon of the "websentee" teenager, who is at home physically but spending increasing amounts of time with his or her friends online through instant messaging.

Penelope Overton, a mother from Hertfordshire, comments: "My 14 year old daughter divides her social life between online, on the phone and out and about. The value of online is that she is able to develop her social skills under our supervision within yards of the dinner table, which means that we get to see a good deal more of her than we might otherwise do."

In the last two years PC World has substantially increased its range of products and services designed to safeguard time online, including Internet Security software, in-store healthchecks and specialist software. Year on year, PC World sales of Internet safety technology in September were up 28%, confirming this trend.

PC World has recently launched a major new initiative, The Connected Home, designed to provide customers with a professional sourcing and home installation service for digital technology that puts computing at the heart of the modern home. Today's PC is capable of running a huge range of domestic tasks, from film to music to home security to lighting. Developments in wireless technology, improved processing power and graphics and the growth in broadband access are making PC technology as important a domestic utility as water, gas or electricity. Consultants at The Connected Home provide customers with comprehensive advice on product options, a home survey and a professional installation service to make their homes the envy of their neighbours, both online and offline.

"Social, liberating and entertainment technologies are the clear preferences and needs of households throughout the UK," Keith Jones added. "It's clear that technology is at its best when it enables people to live better lives."

www.pcworld.co.uk