Just a quick post today for Independence Day in the US.
According to a report about broadband usage released yesterday by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 47% of Internet users had a high-speed connection to the Internet at home in March 2007 (vs. 42% in 2006 and 30% in 2005).
The survey of 2,200 adult Americans conducted earlier this year via phone interviews also found that:
- 63% of respondents aged 18-29 and 59% aged 30-49 (students and their parents) have broadband at home
- only 2% of people who have access to a computer don’t use the Internet
If you’re trying to push for an online video initiative at your institution, you might want to get a copy of “Broadband Home Adoption 2007.” This Pew report is available for free as a PDF file.
The table on page 4 of the report (“Trends in Broadband Adoption Across Population Subgroups”) and the subsequent discussion of those trends is particularly important as high-speed access is unevenly distributed among subpopulations (like nearly every other resource or commodity). I’m not suggesting that we only employ technologies and strategies guaranteed to reach every single person but we must keep in mind those potential students who will never see our videos or read our webpages because of conditions out of their (and our) control. Ignoring this fact will being, continue, or increase homogenization of one’s student body. The Internet and computer use is not and never will be second nature to everyone.