Pew Study Finds
Internet Expectations High
A survey conducted in September and October 2002 by the Pew Research Center shows that at least 80% of Internet users expect to find reliable news, health-care resources, and government information on the Web. News hounds were the most optimistic, with 85% of users expecting to find reliable, up-to-date news on the Web, and 41% reporting that they always find the news they are looking for.
Expectations were nearly as high for commercial sites, with 79% of users counting on finding information about products they are considering for purchase. “With the passage of time, people are gaining more experience and comfort with the Internet and what it offers,” survey author John Horrigan said in a December 30 Reuters report. But only 35% expected to find reliable information about persons online.
“The fact that the Web is becoming more mundane for people is a double-edged sword,” Internet marketing consultant and Columbia University Professor Ruth Stevens said in the December 30 E-Commerce Times. “At the same time consumers are more sophisticated, they are also more likely to trust a Web site with their private information. The more times they do that, the more vulnerable they are.”
Survey results are available on the Pew Research Center Web site.
Posted January 6, 2003.
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