Perusing an in-depth study written for business decision makers on just exactly why people use the Internet, I have developed these three questions, one of which is an older question I posited on Twitter but I wish to reinstate here:
Question 1 – Why is it useful for researchers to continually develop quantitative analyses of Internet behavior and use, and what challenges are presented therein, considering the rapid-fire evolution of Internet technology? Is it a waste of time; will publications already be out-of-date at the moment of publication, much like the latest hot software often seems to be?
Question 2 – New media is not experienced in the same way old media is, though there is major overlap. Why do we so often apply old media styles of critical analysis to new media, thereby discounting the new?
Question 3 – From my old tweet late last year: Is the Internet in any way to blame for some of the current economic climate, and if so, how?
Some of my thoughts herein have been spurred by the aforementioned article, referenced below.
Reference
Stafford, T. F., Stafford, M. R., & Schkade, L. L. (2004). Determining uses and gratifications for the internet. DECISION SCIENCES, 35(2), 259-288. Retrieved from Blis database.
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Tags: economy, Internet, new media, old media, researching the Internet