UAE | Media
Internet revolution catching on strongly
Gulf News survey finds users have serious stuff in mind
- By Heather Madore, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:00 March 15, 2010
- Image Credit: Supplied
- Clockwise from top-left: Zahrah Juma Saleh, Ralph Melis, Fateh Ermihan and Kiran Fernandes.
Dubai: All of us know at least one of them — those who spend 24 hours a day on Facebook or watching online videos. Well, they may no longer be a minority as more and more people are using the internet for everything except doing their dishes.
A recent gulfnews.com poll showed that 48 per cent of respondents used the internet for various needs, with most interested in serious stuff online rather than chatting.
The survey was done to mark the 25th anniversary of the first registered domain name. Gulf News also spoke to readers to find out what they used the internet for.
Fateh Ermihan, an Abu Dhabi-based design manager in the construction industry says he spends an average of 11 hours every day online.
"I spend eight hours official online [for work] and three hours personal," Ermihan says.
Ermihan spends most of his personal time on his email, reading newspapers or ordering books.
Banking function
Ralph Melis, a contract manager says he also spends a good portion of his life on the internet, especially since his work is based online. However, his internet usage doesn't stop there.
Online banking and bill paying is apparently becoming more and more common among households.
Melis spends part of his personal time sending emails, downloading, banking or paying bills but as little time as possible on Facebook, "maybe 15 minutes per day".
No longer do people need to go out, fight traffic, stand in long lines or deal with actual people. Now they can simply log on and have everything squared away within minutes. Personal interaction has given way to convenience and speed.
Kiran Fernandes, a senior structural engineer based in Dubai agrees that more people are turning towards the internet and that it's not always a bad thing.
"[When it comes to] communicating or work it's a good thing."
Fernandes himself spends two hours a day online doing everything from work, paying his utility bill and banking, to email and chatting.
Even though people are spending time online for work or the convenience of skipping the long lines at the bank, there are many who are moving away from or who haven't even begun to move towards the social aspects of the internet.
Social media sites like Facebook and instant messaging are seen as a convenient form of communication, but not everyone thinks they are a good thing.
There are those who have tossed aside the social aspect and found better things to do with their time.
Quest for information
"Social networking [sites] are a waste of time," Jamie Watson, a university student from Sharjah says.
She spends four hours a day online, and only 30 minutes of that doing things like answering emails and the rest for research on school assignments.
Quality officer, Zahrah Jama Saleh says she only uses the internet to find important information.
"I don't know how to chat. I don't have the time or the energy; I prefer to read a book."
Lifestyle: Massive influence
From grocery stores, banks and boutiques, to dating, phone calls and news reports, the internet has it all, and people are taking advantage.
This month marks the 25th anniversary of the first dotcom registration, and the beginning of the internet lifestyle enjoyed by many today.
North American computer manufacturer Symbolics was the first to register a dotcom domain on March 15, 1985, and to date there are approximately 116 million domain names currently active, according to domaintools.com
Gulf News question and result:
What do you use the internet for?
- To work 12%
- Check mail 17%
- To socialise 5%
- Gaming 1%
- Shopping 0%
- Getting news 16%
- Everything. My life is on it. 48%
Total number of votes: 3,166
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