The conclusions reached by a recent survey point out that the Internet is quickly becoming an everyday necessity, ranked above many other aspects considered important in people’s lives.

The study involved 2,119 Americans, 18 and older. 65 percent stated that they couldn’t go on without daily use and 71 percent considered important or very important to have Internet-enabled devices. One of the most surprising results was recorded for the question on what would they choose – sex or Internet access – 46 percent of women and 30 percent of men with ages between 18 and 34 said that they would prefer two weeks without sex than two weeks without their daily Internet access. The figures tend to increase with age, as 52 percent of women aged 35-44 and 39 percent of men aged 35-44 also agreed that the Internet would be their choice over sex for a period of two weeks.

84 percent have saved money by comparing product prices online before going to a store. 66 percent saved money by shopping online and ordering it directly. Also, 65 percent said the Internet was useful as it allowed coupon searches, special discounts or promotions, saving them money.

65 percent of respondents believe that could not live without their Internet access, 39 percent need their Cable TV, 20 percent said that they could not live without dining out, 18 percent could not live without shopping for clothes and 10 percent could not live without their gym membership.

The Internet is also winning over the TV, as 58 percent said they would rather lose TV for two weeks, rather than Internet access for half the time.

91 percent believe that their life is better thanks to the Internet, with 78 percent happy to be able to stay in touch with their friends, 68 percent considering it a good tool for shopping more effectively and 47 percent using it mainly to better manage their finances through the online banking services.

The survey called Internet Reliance in Today’s Economy was conducted by Harris Interactive and was sponsored by Intel.
The conclusions are clear and to a certain extend not surprising, as the need of an Internet connection has become a necessity for many. The Internet use managed to almost eliminate for some the boundaries between the time spent working and the time used for personal needs, turning it into an experience that some users cannot get enough of. This trend is expected to further develop, as the technology is advancing at an extremely accelerated rate and users will constantly be presented with new ways of connecting to the Web.

Still, the matter should be addressed by others, as I wasn’t able to find anyone willing to make this kind of ‘sacrifice.’ The question probably needs to be rearranged and offer details about the activity – because for some, two weeks without sex might not be something entirely out of the ordinary and the results might have been different in this case.

Even with the second mentioned scenario, the importance of Internet use must not be diminished, as it has become a major part of our lives.