Really - Really Rough Draft of Research Paper

Introduction:
The article “Is Google Making Us Stupid” served as the initial inspiration for a topic on internet searches. The idea behind how individuals process, think about and navigate the internet is very interesting. Searching for information online takes skill and contextual interface knowledge about the internet. User knowledge and skill must continue to evolve as the internet evolves with both technology and content. The way that individuals adjust to this changing and converging medium is fascinating. People actually change their behavior and thinking processes. This change is part of the convergence cycle. Internet users call for the convergence and advancement of technology while and at the same time they want to know what to expect. They want to know how to interface with a computer and the internet and get what they need. The call from users to be able to find information from the internet quickly and efficiently and the industry advancement of the medium is both “top/down” and “bottom/up.” Within this area of exploration there is much that can be analyzed and many implications for research projects, but one particular idea will be looked at in depth:

Thesis: Higher socio-economic status has a direct impact on successful internet searches.

Literature Review:
To understand how socio-economic status relates to internet searches it is important to look at issues of access. In order to be familiar with a computer and the internet these mediums must first be available for use. The article “Socio-economic determinants of broadband adoption,” looked at how socio-economic status can affect whether or not people use broadband to access the internet. The study explored different factors within the area of socio-economic status such as age, gender, education, income and occupation. Researcher used a survey method and sent the survey by mail to 1,500 randomly selected individuals from this sample there were 358 respondents. It was found that with the increase of income the number of broadband adopters increased as well. Sex did not prove to be a strong indicator for broadband adaption. The break down of the age category showed that the highest level of broadband adaption was between 25-54 year olds. The age group with the lowest number of adapters was the 65 and above age group. Researchers offered an explanation for this group saying that 65 year olds and above may not have a need for a computer and therefore do not have a need for broadband. It was found that the majority of broadband adapters had a degree and a higher level of education.
After looking at who was adapting and using the internet it is important to also focus on why people are using the internet. The article “Social and Usage-Process Motivations for Consumer Internet Access,” looked a little less at why people were choosing to use the internet. This study looks at internet users in two ways, light and heavy users based on their needs and want for using the internet. Heavy internet users look for socialization. Light users are more interested in the process they need to take to get what they want or need. To explore these ideas researchers surveyed 915 people using America Online. Respondents were classified as heavy or light users based on their response to a specific survey questions about use. They were then classified as a light or heavy internet user. From there the responses were coded based on their heavy or light status. It was found that light users did not use the internet for social gratification or for “surfing” the web for content and heavy users did. This includes the use of e-mails and other communication tools.
Delving even further into looking at who is using the internet the article “Global internet use and access: cultural considerations,” looks at how different cultures use of the internet. A person’s culture has an affect on how they use the internet based on their societal norms and their access to technology. Researchers examined the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) Report, found the e-readiness rankings for 58 countries. Through analysis of education level, cultural norms and the EIU report and the application of the diffusions of innovation theory, researchers found that cultural influence does affect internet use. The diffusion and innovation (DOI) theory looks at innovation, channels of communication where innovation can be expounded, the time elapsed since the innovation was introduced and the social system that the innovation was diffused into. Different cultural factors contribute to how quickly or in what way technology is picked up. The way that a message about technology is communicated to a society has a lot to do with the success of the adoption of this technology. In high context cultures the context of the technology needs to be made clear. In low context cultures a description of the technology using words would be understood. Cultural norms such as power distance will affect adaptation because larger influencing companies or organizations can set the pace for maintaining the status quo or choose to utilize new technology or better yet, choose to be cutting edge and innovative. In cultures that have a high power distance people are less likely to go against the norms of society and avoid standing out (by doing something different or innovative). There additional implications for cultures that are collective versus individualistic. Individualistic cultures adapt technology and new ideas much quicker then collectivistic cultures because they like to stand out and are always searching for a competitive edge that will help to differentiate themselves from the rest of their collogues. Researchers also pointed out that the level of education also has a direct influence on economic growth. With economic growth there is an adaption to new technologies. The most room for expansion is in developing countries.
Another article that explores issues of diffusion but focuses specifically on how income influences internet use is “The Income Digital Divide: Trends and Predictions for Levels of Internet Use.” Researchers make the point that the internet has the potential to be a unifier among different groups because the internet provides an access to information and tools better than many other mediums. However, this is only the case if people have access to the technology, such as a computer and the internet. This is where income comes to the forefront of the issue of technology adaption. If individuals cannot afford the technology then they will not use it. If none of their friends have the technology then they will not be able to communicate with friends through technology. The more that society moves their infrastructure online, the more isolated groups will become if they do not have access or do not utilize technology. To illustrate these points researchers analyzed a U.S. Department of Commerce report that captured the rate of growth of internet and computer use. There was evidence of slow diffusion of internet use to lower income groups therefore causing a lower rate of use.
In order to be order to be able to successfully complete internet searches a certain set of skill and knowledge are needed. A level of familiarity and use of the internet is involved in a successful search as well. The articles that have already focused on the fact that if an individual does not have access to the internet or a computer then they will likely not even touch the issues of successful internet searches. The reality of the digital divide is true, those who have access and use new media will have more familiarity over those who do not. The study “Development and Test of an Internet Search Evaluation Measure” looks at who uses the internet and what they are using the internet for to measure the success of their actions and intentions. The article divides up internet use into two categories, those who use the internet for informational purposes and those who wish to engage in informational and social or entertainment internet interaction. Information seekers are goal oriented and access the medium with a specific goal they are trying to achieve. Achieving the goal requires specific strategies and skills. The achievement of this goal is measured in goal completion and the amount of time it takes to achieve the goal. There are other key indicators about goal success and that is the number of time search criteria was changed, the use of the back button or the phrasing or rephrasing of the criteria to achieve the goal.