In the UK, has the Internet become a Necessity?

[Mr Everyone]

Along with other items like mobile telephones, that's what they were discussing on the news this morning.

The net exclusively gives you:
North Stand Chat
The ability to apply for some jobs (NHS and council ?)
Home Shopping- ebay, Tesco etc..
Email
Pay bills for free (in free I mean no postage or national-rate telephone numbers)
Internet Banking
Up-to-date knowledge on any given subject
...and much, much more!

Can you live without the internet?

Is it a luxury or necessity?

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

You appear to have missed PORN off your list, luxury indeed!

 

[Icy Gull]

Gives me the ability to work abroad, fan bloody tastic

 

[Tricky Dicky]

If I had to choose between them, I could llive without my mobile much easier. I can work over the internet (albeit, not in this job), plus run many other aspects of my life, with billing, shopping etc. . The mobile, while useful, is mainly a convenience, rather than a necessity.

 

[strings]

Yes, my 50% work is done over an internet based password protected platform. Meaning that members of staff can submit 'proposals' from home or their office, that I then oversee once the proposal has been submitted.

I could quite comfortably do upto half my job without actually ever leaving my house.

having said that, I would never work from home given the choice - I only live a 5 minute walk from my workplace, and I like to keep home 'home' and work seperate.

 

[skipper734]

To people that have internet it is essential, those that don't, ask what do I need that for?

 

[BLOCK F]

No it isn't a necessity.I would hate to be without it,but my ancient parents have no need for it at all!

 

[Simster]

I'm glad nobody has mentioned social networking yet... A relatively pointless tool which only real purpose is to maintain superficial relationships with people you haven't spoken to in years (surely real friends have each others phone numbers?)

Spot on. There are some people who have all manner of GOONs and twats among their facebook friends. You have to ask why, really.

 

[strings]

Following on from my earlier point, the network went down at work last year and everybody got sent home. No internet = no work.

For me, the internet has greatly increased the way I watch TV. I have BBC iPlayer on the Wii, so (unfortunatly) the girlfriend never misses EastEnders. We have also watched series of programmes despite not having the channels (we live in a freeview black hole, where we can't pick up any freeview channels - a problem I've only recently fixed).

The internet, and especially NSC, has enabled me to carry on following the Albion even though I'm no longer local. Also, I think places such as Amazon and online specialist sport stores (because I play a bit of Rugby) have changed the way I shop.

 

[bhafc99]

I never use it, personally.

 

[Gwylan]

Following on from my earlier point, the network went down at work last year and everybody got sent home. No internet = no work.

Well yes. It's certainly essential for me

Social networking sites are quickly becoming a necessity. We have to fill in reports as to how often we're on social networking sites: our company has our Digg and Twitter names to monitor us. Twitter is undoubtedly the site I'm on the most, that's a big change over the last two years.

It's interesting that last week Finland said that broadband was a 'legal right' for everyone. It will be nice to have that in the UK - we might hear less from the cackbadgers who are trying to prevent broadband being rolled out in Brighton.

BT fibre angers Brighton residents - Techworld.com

 

[Gazwag]

I think the danger could be that in 50 years time will people actually leave there homes.

Today you can work from home, have all your income electronically transmitted to your account, pay all your bills, watch most sporting events, order food, clothes, household appliances to be delivered to your door, if you fancy a pizza it will arrive in twenty minutes or so. You can chat to friends, find a mate.

When you look what has happened in the last 50 years it makes you wonder

 

[Tricky Dicky]

Well yes. It's certainly essential for me

Social networking sites are quickly becoming a necessity. We have to fill in reports as to how often we're on social networking sites: our company has our Digg and Twitter names to monitor us. Twitter is undoubtedly the site I'm on the most, that's a big change over the last two years.

It's interesting that last week Finland said that broadband was a 'legal right' for everyone. It will be nice to have that in the UK - we might hear less from the cackbadgers who are trying to prevent broadband being rolled out in Brighton.

BT fibre angers Brighton residents - Techworld.com

I would argue that Social Networking is not a NECESSITY, really is it. It may be nice for those who use them, but a necessity would mean you couldn't live without it - which I doubt is the case.

I am now going to possibly contradict myself, in that I am using LinkedIn at the moment (the only SN site I have ever used), but that is purely to find jobs as I know agents use it - and it has got me interviews. Even though I am using it, I wouldn't say it was a necessity though.

 

[Gwylan]

I would argue that Social Networking is not a NECESSITY, really is it. It may be nice for those who use them, but a necessity would mean you couldn't live without it - which I doubt is the case.

It depends how you define necessity.I could do my job without Twitter but not so effectively. It would like something like a footballer playing without football boots. If he played bare-footed, he'd still be able to run and kick the ball, boots are not a necessity, he'd not play anything like as well.

In fact, while the Internet is essential for my job (I work for a website), it's not essential that I work. I could go on the dole and live on benefits but is that really a recommendation for a way to live?

 

[sten_super]

Easy question, easy answer. No. I would argue exactly the same about a mobile phone, and probably lots of other things that I own as well. They make my life easier, but are they necessary for my existence? No.

And while I take Gwylan's point, not many people have a job which actually requires connection to the internet. Okay I can't work from home without the internet, but then I can just come into the office instead. IMHO, the internet certainly can't be viewed as a necessity to the vast majority of the population.

 

[Brovion]

In business IT terms Internet access and email (and in some instances the company web site) have become the 'mission critical' applications. I would go as far as to say that in the modern commercial enviroinment the Internet is almost as crucial as the electrical power supply.

Socially, no it's not a necessity at all. On a personal level not having internet access is a bit like not having a home phone (or maybe even a TV) in the 1970s - a disadvatage and an inconvienience but no more.

 

[Was not Was]

You may be missing the big picture if you think social media is non-essential trite. There was an interesting article in the Guardian yesterday - an interview with Clay Shirky. Link below, but skip the first half, which is about paywall and newspapers.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jul/05/clay-shirky-internet-television-newspapers

The key bits are:
"The book argues that the popularity of online social media trumps all our old assumptions about the superiority of professional content, and the primacy of financial motivation. It proves, Shirky argues, that people are more creative and generous than we had ever imagined, and would rather use their free time participating in amateur online activities such as Wikipedia – for no financial reward – because they satisfy the primal human urge for creativity and connectedness. ... human beings would rather be creating and sharing than passively consuming what a privileged elite think they should watch. Instead of lamenting the silliness of a lot of social online media, we should be thrilled by the spontaneous collective campaigns and social activism also emerging."

IE we can be less passive, and that is exactly what's happening. He also argues that even something trivial like making your own LOLcats picture is more creative than watching telly for half an hour.

I think this is pretty convincing, because he makes a good case that we are basically social beings who like being creative, and this is what the internet + social media enables us to be.

 

[adrian29uk]

Millions of new jobs have been created from it, but then lots of jobs have been lost because of it. Then there is the life balance. Sometimes you site at the screen and think, what is point in this, looking at the same old crap over and over again when you could be doing something that has a point.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

It depends how you define necessity.I could do my job without Twitter but not so effectively. It would like something like a footballer playing without football boots. If he played bare-footed, he'd still be able to run and kick the ball, boots are not a necessity, he'd not play anything like as well.

In fact, while the Internet is essential for my job (I work for a website), it's not essential that I work. I could go on the dole and live on benefits but is that really a recommendation for a way to live?

Fair enough - if it's for your job then I concede. 99.999% of people don't use it for jobs though, I would guess.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Spot on. There are some people who have all manner of GOONs and twats among their facebook friends. You have to ask why, really.

I agree. I find that very odd. Maybe they just want to be able to follow their profiles, to laugh at them and feel superior?