Casual users

...easy, yet safe browsing

Computers have only recently become a necessary family item, as previously locating such a commodity was scarcely possible as they were mainly bulky items held in science labs. Designing and building your own system was often the only way to acquire one before 1975. However absurd this may sound now, the immense price of doing so used to be very expensive.

The era of computing, however, was right around the corner with software pioneer Bill Gates ready to launch Microsoft which would become the standard in most offices and homes. He envisioned a wide network full of interconnected computers, which was very similar to the reality we have now. His target was reached not too long after computers reached the mainstream market in the 1980s and have been a vital part of households ever since.

The computer revolution was followed by an Internet onslaught which geared each house with a system powerful enough to enrich minds and connect just about anyone across the world. Our habits changed inexorably, bringing all of our main concerns into one forum within which we could either multitask or specialise on a particular subject. While shopping, banking, researching and networking we could now instantly also update our contacts or look up information.

In a recent report by Norton, called the Norton Online Living Report, several aspects of our new web-based conduct became evident. Seven out of ten adults globally believed the Internet has improved their relationships, whereas almost 60 per cent said they had made friends online. A typical internet user now, apparently, has 41 online friends.

Keeping in touch online has been a great aspect of the emergence of the internet, especially for people who work in a very computer-based manner. Online communication has allowed for quicker correspondence with distant relatives around the world, as well as, remaining intimate with good friends who you sometimes cannot see as much as you would like. This platform is not entire fool-proof however, as dangers remain common in many spheres.

Further educational safety guides to the internet are needed until online hoaxers are entirely rooted out. Websites can be “scraped” for private details like passwords and pin codes to several domains like banking or social networking sites, and hackers can also pick up details for your contacts. Selling these details has evolved into a business of its own with fraudsters earning hefty sums for passing on identity theft possibilities. These scams are not overwhelmingly smart, however caution is needed.

A newer type of harmful behavior has also emerged with the advent of the internet, as children and adults have started harassing people online. Social networking sites are incredibly interesting platforms but they have recently become spheres of terror as children have started using them as bullying centers. Interestingly, adults are using similar tactics to outmaneuver each other.

Statistics related to the report revealed that online behavior varied hugely across the world. Some figures displayed the countries which were most and least likely to engage in online friendships with China (86%), India (83%) and Brazil (82%) ranking the most enthusiastic to find friends online and France (32%) and Japan (38%) fairly more disinterested in the whole thing. Males were more eager than women, and three in four went on further to meet the person they had met online.

Online personas can be actively deceptive and disarming as the report found that Japanese and Chinese users were far less likely to meet online friends due to possible embarrassment of character if an online persona did not correspond with the real thing. Around 56 per cent admitted to using the Internet in an attempt to find old friends or family.

“Aside from allowing people to forge new relationships, the Internet also helps strengthen existing ties, rekindle romance or get personal. While some admit to negative behavior online, for the most part the Internet is a positive and central vehicle for communication and connection. In fact, six in 10 adults say they could not live without it.”

Online bullying aside, adults admitted to openly criticizing or making fun of other people’s comments or ideas with Brazil topping the charts as most critical at 37 per cent, China following with 35 per cent. Sweden and Japan were far more nonchalant at 8 per cent. One in ten admitted to making fun of other people directly online, with three in ten Indians proving especially critical. “Flaming” emails were sent by almost one in ten Indian and Brazilian users.

Sharing can indeed be easier online, and the study found that around one in four find it easier to deal with issues online than in person or on the phone. Almost 50 per cent of Chinese and Indian children agreed with this, whereas only six per cent of Japanese and seven per cent of German kids believed this.

The study said: “These days, families may be spread throughout the country or even the globe. School, work and friends all compete for time that might otherwise be spent with family. The economic downturn has tightened the reins further, demanding even more of parents who might already be working full-time jobs to begin with, and making it harder to travel. For many, the Internet is a versatile solution for bridging these gaps.”

Of all internet users 71 per cent agreed that the Internet helped them maintain family relationships in a more manageable fashion. Fifty-three per cent said the web bolstered the quality of communication between family members. Fifty per cent of users saw an overall impact from the web.