I still have friends who don't have computers

When your head is spinning with reading up on blogs about up and coming technology and how to manage your online existance with new applications. When you are getting confused between Digg and Del ic ious and when it has just become apparent to you that you have moved only your fingers for the last 4 hours!!!! Then try not to panic, don't wig out! Or web-out for that matter. Just remeber that Web 2.0 is not your only access point to the world. Your facebook picture is not you, you are in fact looking a lot less healthy because of all the itme you have sat hunched infront of the computer!

I like to remind myself when i am feeling information overload, that some of my friends don't even have the internet. They seem happy. The problem is, once you get it that's it your dependent...or interdependent.

So these friends of mine without the internet, well, they are ot alone suprisingly. When considering factors effecting access to new media, the most obvious is of course internet access itself.

The UK's national statistics website says that in 2007 61% of the british population had internet access. This is a step up from just over 45% in 2002.

What about closer to home: The ABS states that

• 66% of dwellings in major cities have access to the Internet, compared to 42% for very remote Australia.
• For Broadband access, 46% of dwellings in major cities have broadband compared to 24% for remote areas.
• Corresponding access rates for Inner Regional, Outer Regional and Remote Australia are 56%, 52% and 53% for Internet access and 32%, 27% and 28% for Broadband access.

There are several key factors which effect individual access to the internet:

• Income
• Educational attainment
• Family composition
• Labour force status and occupation
• Gender and marital status
• English proficiency
• Age
• Indigenous status
• Disability

If i think about the firends of min who do not have the they are in most cases unmarried, young individuals who have chosen a trade over university education....mmm

They still seem to have an enviably simple life with more itme outside...what are we doing in fonrt of these screens. I am going to take a break.