The Network Society - University of Massachusetts Amherst

Internet and Society in a Global Perspective 323
often to access business e-mail since their job could depend on checking),
in the fourth year it was the newest users who believed in the
fastest response. Of those online for less than a year, 29.7% felt that a
personal e-mail should be answered as soon as possible while less than
half as many experienced users (14.7%) felt a reply was called for that
quickly. On the slower side, 18.9% of new users felt that a reply in two
or three days was acceptable, while 30.8% of the experienced users felt
this way.
Figure 13.7 Frequency in replying to their e-mail
Percent of respondents (%)
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
29.7
14.7
As soon
as possible
27.0
33.7
In 1 day
In 2 or
3 days
18.9
30.8
In 4 or
5 days
2.7
2.3
13.5
New users (less than 1 year)
Yery experienced users (7 years or more)
11.8
Within
1 week
Within
0.8
0.4
0 0 0 0
Like television, the Internet has become a significant part of many
users’ lives. Its importance as a medium of communication and information
is already significant and likely will continue to grow and
become more pronounced. As it moves from a novelty to an ingrained
part of daily (or hourly) life, it will have increasingly unanticipated
effects on daily life. Beyond displacing some existing activities, the
Internet will change the core of social interaction, politics, learning
and entertainment in ways that will be captured internationally as the
project grows in size and maturity.
2 weeks
When one
can get
around to it
Not
Within
1 month
2.7
3.1
necessary
to reply
Other
5.4
2.5