In recent articles, the future of the internet has been discussed by many regarding what the future of the world wide web has in store. Already, the way in which we use the internet is changing at a dramatic rate. This year saw the biggest use of the internet for christmas shopping (I myself bought all my christmas shopping online), and indeed shopping in general. More people are using services such as Tesco’s to have food delivered to their houses, and will often shop for books and electronics on the internet looking for cheaper deals.
This year the BBC saw the introduction of the ‘iplayer’ which allows people to watch episodes of TV programmes that they missed, which has proved to be incredibly popular. This service by the BBC has been used by people of all ages, from children, adults and even more elderly users (often branded as the silver surfers!). With a third of all homes in the UK now owning a PC it’s unsurprising that people are using the internet for more and more daily tasks, and the use of the iplayer shows it’s more accessible than people think. There aren’t the same barriers in technology anymore. I noticed when I started getting text messages and emails from my nan, that people are open to changes that will enrich their lives.
As well as the increase in PCs, the internet is now integrated into many hand held devices such as the iphone / ipods / mobile phones / PSPs etc. There are lot’s of available WiFi connections available in coffee shops and fast food restaurants such as Starbucks and MacDonalds which people can use for free.
Nigel Linge, a professor in Salford University’s School of Computing, Science and Engineering has said:
The internet is not going to become less a part of our lives. What will become different is that you won’t consciously be talking about looking on the internet for something.
What we can expect to see is a ’blurring’ of technology, where eventually everything will be integrated into the internet, and it will become a natural part of our daily lives. For many, the internet is the first port of call now when looking for any information or service, and this will only continue to grow as it becomes more readily available.
