Internet Access & Use

1. Internet Access & Use Compiled by: Sherry Biscope (September 2, 2003)

2. In the beginning…. “There is a great need for a computer communications network able to selectively connect any user to any service, quickly, reliabily and cheaply….” Science Council of Canada (August, 1971)

3. Evolution of the Internet • Wave 1 – 20 years before it was widely used (1970’s) • Text-based email • Wave 2 – 15 years (1990’s) • Emergence of WWW • Wave 3 – 10 years till it’s as widely used as WWW • Services and applications e.g.: health, education & government services being located on the Internet Source: CANARIE (2003).CANARIE Fast Track. 1(1). Accessed on July 16/03: http://www.canarie.ca/press/publications/fast_track_march2003.pdf

4. Pre-Internet in Canada • Initial pressure from academic & military • ARPAnet – 1983 (@ used in email) • DREnet & NetNorth – 1985 (Canadian in origin) • Grassroots movement (academic, residential, corporate, technical) • Usenet (UUCPnet) - 1979 • Even then chat was an issue! Source: CA*Net Institute (2003).A Nation Goes Online. Accessed on July 16/03: http://www.canarie.ca/press/publications/ango.pdf

5. Internet in Canada • CA*Net – 1990 • World Wide Web • Proposal published in 1989 • Storage & retrieval tool using hypertext & hypermedia • Mosaic - 1993 • Multi-media browser Source: CA*Net Institute (2003).A Nation Goes Online. Accessed on July 16/03: http://www.canarie.ca/press/publications/ango.pdf

6. Adoption Times for Technologies Source: Sciadas G (2003). Digital Divide in Canada.

7. Canadian Internet Data

8. Household Presence of Technologies Source: Sciadas G (2003). Digital Divide in Canada.

9. General use of the Internet (2000) Source: Dryburgh (2003). Changing our ways: Why and how Canadians are using the Internet.

10. Internet Non-users • Most likely to be: • Women • Francophone • Employed • Living in households with incomes less than $60,000 • Less likely to have a post-secondary education • Less likely to use other technologies (fax machines, cell phone, ATM, answering machine, pager, cable TV, satellite dish, DVD) Source: Crompton, Ellison & Stevenson (2002).Better things to do or dealt out of the game? Internet dropouts and infrequent users. Canadian Social Trends (Summer 2002).

11. Internet Non-Users • 42% of adults have not used Internet • 75% are 40+ years old • 50% are women • 22% of non-users are interested in learning to use Internet • Barriers: cost, lack of access to a computer/Internet and not enough time Source: Crompton, Ellison & Stevenson (2002).Better things to do or dealt out of the game? Internet dropouts and infrequent users. Canadian Social Trends (Summer 2002).

12. Infrequent vs. Regular Internet Users Source: Crompton, Ellison & Stevenson (2002).Better things to do or dealt out of the game? Internet dropouts and infrequent users. Canadian Social Trends (Summer 2002).

13. Reasons for not Using the Internet • 30% no need • 17% too expensive • 16% computer too old to support technology • 14% lost access to a computer • Source: Crompton, Ellison & Stevenson (2002).Better things to do or dealt out of the game? Internet dropouts and infrequent users. Canadian Social Trends (Summer 2002).

14. Use of Internet

15. All Ages use of the Internet Source: Statistics Canada (n.d.). Households using the Internet from home, by purpose of use. Accessed on July 16, 2003 at http://www.statcan.ca/english/Pgdb/arts52a.htm

16. Time Spent on the Internet • 61% use Internet 1–7 hours/week • 14% use Internet for 14+ hours/week Source: Dryburgh (2003). Changing our ways: Why and how Canadians are using the Internet.

17. Socio-demographics of Internet Users Age, Sex, Income, Education and Geography

18. Age Source: Sciadas G (2003). Digital Divide in Canada.

19. Age of Internet Users (2000) • 90% 15-19 years old • 70% 25-29 years old • 61% 35-39 years old • 13% 65-69 years old Source: Dryburgh (2003). Changing our ways: Why and how Canadians are using the Internet.

20. Teens Use of Internet • 71% accessing information • 60% electronic communication • 52% word processing • 48% gaming • 32% learn school related material Source: Willmns & Corbett (2003). Tech and teens: Access and use. Canadian Social Trends (Summer 2003), 15-20.

21. Teen Access to Internet • 99% used Internet • 79% access at home Source: Environics Research Group (2001). Young Canadians in a Wired World: The Students’ View. What are youth doing online, and what do their parents need to know?.

22. When do Teens start using Internet?

23. Comparison of Teen Access at Home Source: Willmns & Corbett (2003). Tech and teens: Access and use. Canadian Social Trends (Summer 2003), 15-20.

24. Sex of Internet Users in 2000 • 56% men use the Internet • 50% of women use the Internet • Each age group is likely to have more male users than female Source: Dryburgh (2003). Changing our ways: Why and how Canadians are using the Internet.

25. Does Income affect Internet Access? • 32% Internet access (any location) for households with $23,000 or less • 87% Internet access (any location) for households with $70,000 or more • It becomes 23% and 76% for home access • Source: Statistics Canada (n.d.). Internet use rates, by location of access and household income. Accessed on July 16, 2003 at http://www.statcan.ca/english/Pgdb/arts56a.htm

26. Does Education affect Internet Access? • 60% of all households have access • 86% of households with a University degree have access • 30% of households with less than high school have access • Source: Statistics Canada (n.d.). Internet use rates, by location of access and education of head of household. Accessed on July 16, 2003 at http://www.statcan.ca/english/Pgdb/arts53a.htm

27. Impact of Education on Access • Each additional year of parent’s education increases the likelihood of having a computer or Internet connection by: • 18% of having a computer at home • 15% of having Internet at home Source: Willmns & Corbett (2003). Tech and teens: Access and use. Canadian Social Trends (Summer 2003), 15-20.

28. Geography and the Internet • 54% of urban Census Metropolitan Areas (CMA) Canadians have Internet • 42% of rural (non-CMA) Canadians have Internet Source: Sciadas G (2003). Digital Divide in Canada.

29. Internet Use Across Canada Source: Dryburgh (2003). Changing our ways: Why and how Canadians are using the Internet.

30. Health and the Internet in Canada

31. Physicians Use of the Internet • 89% of doctors use the Internet • 57% have Internet access at the office/clinic • 17% have a practice website Source: Pulse: MD’s office Internet use hits 57%. CMAJ;168(4) 475.

32. Practice-based Internet Use • 49% search Internet • 46% use email • 45% search MEDLINE • 34% visit physician related websites • 27% view patient orientated resources • 25% conduct financial activities Source: Pulse: MD’s office Internet use hits 57%. CMAJ;168(4) 475.

33. Patient Related Use of Technology • 37% occasionally refer patients to medical websites • 46% occasionally have patients bring medical info obtained from Internet • Source: Pulse: MD’s office Internet use hits 57%. CMAJ;168(4) 475.

34. Health and Internet: USA Data

35. Health Searches • 80% of adult Internet users have searched for information on a major health topic • 85% of women online have searched for health information (75% of men) Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project (2003). Internet Health Resources.

36. Health Topics • 63% specific disease/medical problem • 47% medical treatment or procedure • 44% diet, nutrition, vitamin or nutrition • 36% exercise or fitness • 34% prescription or OTC drugs • 10% sexual health Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project (2003). Internet Health Resources.

37. Finding Information

38. Searching Patterns • 75% of Internet users use search engines • 56% of Internet users don’t look through more than 2 pages of results from a search engine • 32% read to the bottom of the 1st page • 23% go beyond the 2nd page • 8.7 look through more than 3 pages • 52% always use the same search engine Source: CyberAtlas (2002). Internet Users Impatient with Search Results. Accessed on July 15, 2003 at http://www.nua.com/surveys/index.cgi?f=VS&art_id=905358569&rel=true

39. Searching in the Future (Canada) • Currently, to buy something or gather information a person needs to complete a series of steps (use search engine, review sites, visit site, browse site, revise search terms, repeat until information of appropriate quality found) • In future (Wave 3), these steps should be integrated, conducted in parallel and presented to the user as a complete "service". • Source: Canada’s Innovation Strategy (2002). Sector Report: Using Networks For Innovation: A National Strategy For Canada. Accessed on July 16, 2003 at http://www.innovationstrategy.gc.ca/cmb/innovation.nsf/SectorReports/CANARIE#executive

40. Youth Internet Use (USA) • 71% will use Internet for research vs. 24% using library sources • 71% of youth still use phone to contact friends instead of Internet • 41% say they have changed a health behaviour based on what they found online Source: Henry J. Kaiser Foundation (2002). Key Facts:Teens Online.

41. Internet-based Technologies (USA) • 90% of youth use email • 74% of youth use instant messaging • 56% of teens have more than 1 email address • Source: Henry J. Kaiser Foundation (2002). Key Facts:Teens Online.

42. Filtering Software (USA) • 76% of youth have filters on computers at their schools • 46% of youth have had health information websites (non-pornographic sites) blocked by filtering software Source: Henry J. Kaiser Foundation (2002). Key Facts:Teens Online.

43. Trends in Canada Things to be wary of …..

44. Spam Inadvertently creating spam opportunities • Emails that are bought from mailing lists • Chat sessions • Newsgroup postings • Harvesting off of servers and websites Source: Co, M (2003). SPAM: Coming soon to an email box near you. CIN; 159,169.

45. Security • 65% of Canadians are concerned about security on the Internet (sharing personal data e.g.: shopping) • 5% of Internet users have experienced problems with security Source: Dryburgh (2003). Changing our ways: Why and how Canadians are using the Internet.

46. Privacy • 61% of Canadians are concerned about privacy Source: Dryburgh (2003). Changing our ways: Why and how Canadians are using the Internet.