Once a novelty, Internet now a big part of life

ONCE A NOVELTY, INTERNET NOW A BIG PART OF LIFE, POLL SHOWS
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Frank Davies and Sandra Gonzales]
A nationwide poll by Zogby International for a Washington firm, 463 Communications finds: by a 2-1 ratio, Americans say they would rather watch an old-fashioned TV evening news report's coverage of an event than the sort of "citizen video" that has become increasingly popular; 83 percent believe a typical 12-year-old knows more about the Internet than the average member of Congress; and most respondents were optimistic about the reach of the Internet, with a majority saying that within 10 years every place in the world will have online access, but they were somewhat pessimistic on whether the United States will be in the forefront of business dominance. The poll also found that Internet access has become a necessity for many, but a car that works is still more important -- 78 to 10 percent -- according to the poll. For those making more than $100,000 a year, 31 percent said loss of Internet and e-mail access would make it harder to get work done than the loss of a car. The perception of the Internet's impact is undeniable. Two-thirds of those polled said the printing press was a more important invention, but 32 percent chose the Internet over Gutenberg -- as did 51 percent of Hispanics and 85 percent of Asian-Americans.
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/16280614.htm