The Evolution of Internet How consumers use technology and its impact on our lives.

1. The Evolution of Internet
How consumers use technology and its impact on our lives.
Introduction
Despite the fact that the Internet had been around for a long time, it was only in the 1990s that it became
widely used in homes. The number of businesses and homes that began changing their working practices
and connecting their laptops and other devices to the Internet can be traced back to the Internet's
inception. However, it was only at this period that the concept of hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) as
we know it today was born. This meant that people could now exchange information by accessing the
same web pages on their devices.
Since its start, the number of internet users has increased dramatically. As a result, the number of
connected computer networks has increased dramatically. It began with a small number of computers,
less than 10. 440 million computers can now be directly connected, making life easier for individuals
all across the world. For those with Internet connection, sharing information and knowledge has become
exceedingly simple. China has the most internet users, with 1.4 billion, followed by India, with 1.3
billion, and the United States of America, with just over 0.3 billion (https://www.vedantu.com/, n.d.).
Fig1 (evolution of Internet, 1993).
Access to the Internet
It's impossible to imagine a world without the Internet. Since July 2018, over 900,000 people have gone
online for the first time every day, putting the total number of internet users on the planet at an all-time
high. The internet was used by 46.8% of the world's population the previous year.
Approximately six out of every 10 people on the planet now have access to the internet. In comparison
to 2018, the number of internet users increased by 327 million in 2019. This represents an increase of
8.2 percent in active internet users around the world, which is more than eight times higher than the
global population growth rate of 1% (Finances Online, n.d.).

2. From 27.5 Mbps to 53 Mbps, the average fixed broadband connection speed has improved. In 2021,
video will account for 82 percent of all internet traffic, up from 73 percent in 2016. Global internet
traffic was 92 times higher in 2020 than it was in 2005. Every two minutes, the gigabyte equal of all
the movies ever made traversed worldwide IP networks. In 2021, the equivalent of a gigabyte will be
one minute.
Globally, 13.7 billion M2M connections were established, up from 5.8 billion in 2016, and 481.4
million other portable devices were used, up from 264.7 million in 2016.
Between 2016 and 2021, IP traffic more than tripled, reaching 3.3 zettabytes per year, up from 1.2
zettabytes in 2016. Monthly traffic generated by the average internet user increased to 57 gigabytes, up
from 23.9 gigabytes in 2016.
Digital devices used by audiences
Tablets, Smart TVs, and e-Readers all showed steady increase in an eir poll from 2015. On July 12th,
10% of all homes had a tablet. On August 15, 49% of all households have a tablet. It's also worth noting
that, according to eir, 90% of users switch between devices to achieve an objective. For example, you
might see an advertisement on your phone and then investigate the product later that evening at home
on your PC.
According to video platform vendor Ooyala, mobile devices now account for half of all video viewing.
Video views have increased by more than 233 percent, outpacing the global usage of mobile devices
during the same time period (ElKelly Digital Marketing, 2017).

3. Fig3 (Evolution of computers, 2020).
How customers search for information
Search engines are typically used for one of three purposes: research, shopping, or amusement. Search
engines are used for more than just research and shopping. The Internet is a wide, addicting, and
dependable resource and there are users who use search engines as a source of entertainment. They look
up videos, movie trailers, games, and social networking sites, among other things (Dummies.com,
2016).
Fig4 (thatsearchthing.com, n.d.).

4. What consumers buy online
According to the survey results, 69 percent of 2,241 U.S. adults polled online said they had purchased
clothing online, while 59 percent mentioned digital content, 54 percent mentioned accessories like
handbags and shoes, and 49 percent said they had purchased personal electronics like digital music
players or tablets online.
Furthermore, 36% of tablet owners had purchased digital content with their tablet, while 22% had
purchased apparel and 19% had purchased accessories. Furthermore, 16 percent had purchased
personal electronics with a tablet, while around 12 percent had purchased cosmetics, 12 percent had
purchased personal grooming products, and 9 percent had purchased domestic electronics.
(PYMNTS.com, 2014).
Fig5. What Consumers want in online (https://www.bing.com/images, 2014).
Online video consumption
Video marketing is generating more interaction than ever before, and customers are increasingly
expecting to see this type of content from brands. Even as early as 2018, 87 percent of customers
stated they wanted to see more video from businesses in the coming year.
In 2020, it's probable that brands' expectations for marketing videos will have risen even higher.
Consumers watch product demos, video reviews, and unboxings every day to learn more about things
before purchasing them.

5. Fig6 (bing.com/images, 2007).
Consumer trends
Thanks to the viral proliferation of gifs, memes, emojies, and bitmojies, we've seen texting grow from
delivering text-only communications (literally texting) to adding imagery. In fact, as video-sharing
grows in popularity, actual writing is dwindling (meet SnapChat, Instagram Stories, Facebook Stories,
Periscope, Vine, etc. and shorthand abbreviations).
People's interactions with one another are changing as a result of social networks.
However, thanks to higher-quality video and streaming capabilities, face-to-face encounters via
technology are resurfacing and even strengthening (enter: Skype, Google Hangouts, Zoom, FaceTime,
live streaming, etc.). Geographic barriers that traditionally inhibited communication have been broken
down as more individuals engage in web/video conferencing online. Instead, businesses can engage
with customers in a more human way, people can communicate to one other face to face without having
to fly, and reaching out to people all over the world is faster and easier (discovertec.com, 2018).

6. Fig7 (https://www.bing.com/images, n.d.).
Summary
Consumer patterns have shifted in recent years, affecting our lives. We are more connected to the rest
of the world than we have ever been. People can now connect from anywhere at any time thanks to
high-speed internet and Wi-Fi, as well as mobile gadgets like Android phones that have displaced
previous technologies.
Because of technological advancements, users now use social media platforms not just to chat with
family and friends, but also to engage with brands and businesses, and to search for information instead
of using search engines, receiving quick answers to their questions. Smartphones and other mobile
devices provide consumers with convenience because they can purchase online, compare prices and
find good bargains, and watch their favourite show on the train thanks to online streaming platforms
like Netflix (gemagoesdigital, 2020).

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https://youtu.be/srHaBKXkVeM