YOUTH SAYS INTERNET IS IMPORTANT AS AIR,WATER AND FOOD

The modern youth believes the Internet is an integral
part of their lives and it is as essential as air, water and
foodfor survival, says a survey conducted by
networking giant Cisco.
The 2011 Cisco Connected World Technology Report
includes survey on some 1,441 college students, aged
between 18-24 and 1,412 employees, aged between
21-29 in 14 countries, including the US,UK, Canada,
Mexico, Brazil, France, China, Russia and India.
In India, nearly 95 percent of the college students and
young employees said in the survey they believed
Internet is as important in their lives as food, water, air
andshelter. The survey says Internet is no longer a
“good to have”, and its now a “must have” facility.
The change in perception is due to the rising trend of
staying connected and sharing, thanks to social media
and smart mobile devices.
The Cisco report gives an interesting insight on the
phenomenon with a special focus on current and future
employees and aims to identify the best ways to
address their needs, expectations and issues. Nearly
64% of respondents said that they would prefer
Internet over a car, while about 40 percent of
respondents globally said that Internet is more
important than dating or going out with friends or even
listening to music.
The young generation loves social networking sites
such as Facebook and Twitter. The report states
nearly 27 percent of respondents said they preferred
updating their status messages on Facebook than
partying or going out with friends, if they were given a
choice between them.
The survey also reveals the growing popularity of
mobile devices among youth. The Cisco study says
nearly 71 percent of respondents in India
acknowledged the importance of mobile devices, which
was onlysecond to the UK's 74 percent and ahead of
nations like Australia (66 percent), China (62 percent)
and the US (62 percent).
The Cisco study also disclosed that smartphones and
laptops had replaced TV as the most important device
in the lives of youth. The report further indicates that
use of paper is declining among the youth as two out
of five students have not bought a book from a
bookstore in last two years.
On extensive usage of social networking site
Facebook, Indian respondents topped the survey
with some 92 percent students logging on their
accounts daily, while one-third of them checked their
walls at least five times a day. Moreover, some 85
percent of Indian employees acknowledged adding
their office colleagues and managers as friends on
Facebook.