Lies, damn lies, and statistics

According to last year's figures from the Office for National Statistics only 73% of UK households are connected to the internet. 1 in 4 UK homes are still not hooked up to the web. This puts the arguments about changing patterns of media distribution and consumption into context and also demands that any talk of a digital media revolution is at least tempered with consideration that a very large minority of audiences are not currently party.


Another set of figures in the report lend weight to Prensky's emphasis on the generational divide in his natives/immigrants/dinosaurs theory:

The chart shows that a far lower percentage of older sections of the population are using the internet and also that a sizeable proportion amongst that group have tried and decided, cheers no thanks.


Finally the report also gives some raw data on usage of online tv and radio. The trend here clearly shows that participation is widening, but also that the rate of growth appears to be slowing. This perhaps hints at as yet unreached sections of TV and radio audiences, who are either economically disenfranchised from the digital revolution or simply satisfied with traditional forms of distribution.

You can view the full report here and fish out a couple of stats to add weight to your own arguments about the impact of the internet on the media industries.

All watched over by machines of loving Grace

Adam Curtis's new series about how computers have not liberated us but distorted and simplified our view of the world around us. He argues that we THINK that the internet makes us feel connected and free, that it democratises society and allows us all to communicate and have a global reach, but actually it serves to reinforce existing heirarchies of power.  It starts on Monday May 23 at 9pm on BBC2. WATCH IT IN IPLAYER!!  This trailer is really cool.