Researchers Just Created the Internet Addiction Spectrum, Here’s What You Need to Know

According to data published by the University of Surrey, people aged 24 years and below use the internet for about six hours a day on average. As for those over the age of 24, this number stood at around 4.6 hours with all things having been considered and taken into account. Another aspect of this study that bears mentioning is that it outlined an Internet Addiction Spectrum, which sorts users out into five basic categories.

In this study, which was led by Dr. Brigitte Strangl, 796 participants were categorized. Here are the five groups that researchers came up with:

1. Casual Users

14.86% of study participants were sorted into this group. Their internet usage is quite precise, with them mainly performing basic tasks online after which they log out. People in this group are about 33.4 years old on average. According to this study, “Casual Users” exhibit none of the symptoms of internet addiction. Additionally, this makes them far less likely to experiment with new apps than might have been the case otherwise, which is an important thing to note for digital marketers and professionals in adjacent fields.

2. Initial Users

This group made up 22.86% of study participants. Unliked “Casual Users”, “Initial Users” tend to extend their internet sessions beyond their initial intent. This can often lead to them neglecting some important tasks in real life, such as basic household chores. With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that they don’t consider themselves to be addicts. Members of this group are 26.1 years old on average, and show a moderate willingness to try out new apps

3. Experimenters

21.98% of internet users belong to this group according to the data provided. Notably, this group can experience anxiety if they’re unable to access the internet. When allowed to surf the web, “Experimenters” showed noticeable signs of improvement in their mental state.

This makes them considerably more interested in new apps. Since they’re usually between the ages 22.8 and 24.3 on average, they’re a prime target market for the digital app and marketing industries.

4. Addicts-in-Denial

17.96% of study participants showed obvious addictive tendencies while using the internet. They largely ignore real life relationships and responsibilities, preferring instead to pass their time in the digital world.

In spite of the fact that this is the case, individuals sorted into this category couldn’t acknowledge their addiction. This prompted researchers to label them “Addicts-in-Denial”. Participants in this category showed a substantial level of confidence with mobile technology.

5. Addicts

This group represents the most extreme end of the Internet Addiction Spectrum, comprising a sizable 22.36% of the total sample size. This makes them the second most widespread type of internet user after “Initial Users”.

While this group shares many of the same extremely addictive behaviors towards the internet as “Addicts-in-Denial”, they also candidly admit that their addiction exists. Out of all of the categories created in this study, “Addicts” showed the highest level of confidence in using mobile tech, as well as the greatest desire to test out as many new apps as possible.

The above data was presented in the “Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing. According to Dr. Strangl, her aim was to analyze the effects of internet addiction and how it impacts user experiences. She also attempted to shed some light on what problematic internet usage looks like. Ultimatley, Dr. Strangl hopes that this study can help create “tailored interventions” that can stop internet addiction in its tracks.

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by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

The Battery Waste Challenge: Can We Sustainably Manage Electric Vehicle Batteries?

The emergence of climate change and global warming concerns have shaken the political innovation roots to its core, and now, the dawn of new renewable energy is on the top. During the climate change revolution, the most considerable criticism for torturing Mother Earth was the fossil fuels used in our vehicles. Electric cars and rechargeable batteries have taken the lead in combating this earth-killing substance (fossil fuels).

However, just because something has the potential value to save our climate doesn’t mean it's legitimately free from other dangers. Lithium batteries, the forerunner of the electrical vehicle revolution as they set a rebellion to replace the cars operating on fossil fuels, have some concerns that eventually can turn into significant issues if not dealt with immediately.

Many climate activists are pushing the limits to promote electric cars for a more prosperous future. Still, they are falling short of realizing that lithium batteries are finite and, eventually, can’t be used. To make a greener world, we should also consider ways to dispose of these lithium batteries rather than form a graveyard of wasted batteries at every corner of this world.

To further elaborate on this issue, a critical review published in the International Journal of Environment and Waste Management by an engineering Indian team wrote on how well we are established regarding battery wastage of resources lost in the transport category.

Preeti Mishra and Sayali of the civil department of the Deemed University of Pune, India, have studied the necessary and significant factors that have contributed to the growth of the electrical vehicle market. They believe there is a need to have sustainable solutions for the environment and human health.

By 2023, there will be around 43 million electric vehicles on the roads, per the EV30@30 situation. The massive shift towards electric cars will severely reduce the dependency on fossil fuels, eventually reducing carbon emissions into the atmosphere, thus resulting in less global warming. However, the only concern is that the increase in electric vehicles will also tremendously raise the waste generation of lithium batteries as years go by.

Although recycling is only feasible when reusing specific resources, recycling is only helpful for metals. Nearly all heavy metals are likely to end up in landfills worldwide.

Countries like the US and China are researching the matter of heavy metals from electrical batteries ending up in landfills but, at the same time, researching how the waste can be managed. Unlike the developed countries, the research being done in underdeveloped countries is almost nearly non-existent, and landfills of heavy metal in those nations are significantly higher than in the developed countries.

The rise of electric vehicles will save the climate and provide a cleaner transportation system free from carbon emissions and toxic gases. But still, as one problem is being solved, another is on the rise: waste management. To combat this futuristic problem, we must develop better battery chemistry, recycling methods, and waste management techniques.

Photo: Kindel Media/Pexels

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by Ahmed Naeem via Digital Information World

51.5% of Young People Say New Tech Helps Them Get Organized

New technology can provide a wide range of advantages, but what exactly are the improvements it can make to the manner in which you have currently chosen to end up living your life? The latest iteration of the annual WIN World Survey, which polled over 28,700 participants from around the world, shed some light on the truth of the matter at hand.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that 45.3% of survey respondents stated that new tech is helping them become more organized than might have been the case otherwise. This proportion was even higher among younger people, 51.5% people saying the same.

Interestingly enough, a higher proportion of men reported that tech improved their ability to stay organized than women. 47.45% of men agreed with this sentiment, whereas just 43% of women said the same. A lot of geographical disparity can also be seen in this data, ranging from 86% of Kenyans agreeing that technology makes them better able to organize their lives to just 32% of people in the Ivory Coast saying the same.

One thing that this suggests is that the benefits of tech are not always distributed equally. Gender disparity can give women access to less tech with all things having been considered and taken into account, and countries that have more technological advancements occurring might end up experiencing more of the benefits.

An interesting thing that was revealed in this study was that fewer people are worried about how their information is getting shared online. Back in 2021, 48% of survey respondents in that year’s iteration of the same poll said that they were concerned about how their info gets shared online, but in spite of the fact that this is the case, the proportion for 2022 has fallen to 45%.

This seems to suggest that people are becoming more agreeable to the concept that sharing information is worthwhile. It will be interesting to see how this impacts the tech industry as it continues to grow and progress in the coming decades.

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by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

Google Docs Faces Tough Competition With The Arrival of AI-Powered Zoom Docs

It appears like Google might be getting a little uneasy after hearing about the launch of Zoom’s AI-powered docs initiative.

As experts claim, the famous end-meeting feature could just be the start of some great things for users of the platform, as early as next year.

The company revealed the breakthrough news at its yearly Zoomtopia conference that took place recently. And that’s where the firm seemed to be busy highlighting a long range of updates as well as new launches which are designed to streamline both collaboration as well as a range of hybrid work.

And as you can imagine, the most anticipated reveal had to do with Zoom Docs. The latter is certainly exciting and outlined to be completely powered used AI technology. Similarly, it makes use of cloud documentation that’s integrated into Zoom’s powerful platform with ease.

Thanks to a release sent out to the press, the company’s CEO stressed a new promise to alter the platform with the help of AI capabilities. Moreover, these new types of innovations highlight the firm’s goals to alter the app in a manner that provides seamless human connectivity while solving some serious business-related issues.

At the core of the app, this new initiative called Zoom Docs promises to provide a new platform for collaborative efforts that supports working as a team. Similarly, it would give rise to creating documents as well as making edits of a whole new kind. But we do feel its extreme closeness to the Zoom app separates this venture from all others.

So what exactly can users do on Zoom Docs is a question on plenty of people’s minds. Well, for starters, you can say hello to creating documents of all kinds, adding tables, making edits, and whatnot. And that includes taking part in the activities via usual meetings on Zoom, desktop apps, Zoom Web, and even through a Team Chat. And as one can imagine, it offers huge competition to newcomer Notion.

Such blocks enable users to produce layouts hinted at particular workflows via options such as drag and drop and that does give out direct competition for software and WordPress as well as newsletter champ Mailchimp.

The most innovative option out of them all happens to be Zoom Docs and its use of AI. The AI domain is one that has been trending for some time now and seeing this new venture of the app populate documents using insights to speeden up the creation process is worth a mention. Similarly, it’s going to be hailed for producing accurate summaries of long documents that add ease to users’ lives including accessing information seen through documents.

We first learned at the start of last month how the latest addition to Zoom’s already growing influence was attaining new enhancements. At this point in time, we saw the assistant put out a debut of the latest Zoom Whiteboard. And that’s where it could produce ideas through visual means and also give rise to the organization of a different kind.

The latest AI companion was seen getting meetings and summaries for chats to be used for higher study purposes as well as to assist clients arising from the healthcare sector. And this is what assists in streamlining tasks. Common examples of the latter include generating summaries for long threads and generating automated replies for emails.

This came alongside greater options for scheduling meetings and customized links while working in a collaborative manner through the help of location maps.

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by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Here Are the Most Popular Content Categories in America

The choices that Americans make when it comes to the content that they decide to consume can help determine a wide range of economic scenarios, including where ad dollars end up. Statista Consumer Insights recently conducted a survey because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up revealing what types of content American consumers tend to prefer. This shed some light on the categories that end up receiving the lion’s share of viewers.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that comedy turned out to be the most popular content category of all. 42% of the people that responded to this survey said that they prefer to consume comedy, although music came in at a close second with 38%. Following this, 31% of survey respondents indicated that they consume content that is created by influencers and creators in the food category, making it the third most popular content category of all.

Unsurprisingly, adult content ranked fairly highly on this list with all things having been considered and taken into account. 30% of survey respondents admitted to viewing it and following creators in the space. However, the number could potentially be even higher due to the stigma surrounding this content category which might make people less likely to admit to it than might have been the case otherwise.

Coming in fourth was film and TV, which just goes to show that the traditional mediums of entertainment have seen a bit of a fall from grace in recent years. 29% of survey respondents said that they consume content and follow creators operating within this niche, which is likely a far lower number than would have been seen just a few years prior.

Advice and self help along with animal and nature content received 28% of the votes apiece, and health and fitness rounded off the list with 26%. These categories represent where viewer attention goes, and brands must be cognizant of this so that they can market as effectively as possible and reach the maximum number of viewers.

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by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

New Survey Reveals Over Half of Internet Users Are Paying More Than They Signed Up For

As inflation continues to hit consumers in the wallet, it appears that every single aspect of their monthly expenses has started to shoot through the roof. It has long been suspected that broadband rates have been on the rise as well, but in spite of the fact that this is the case, there hasn’t been much data to prove it either way.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that a new survey conducted by US News and World Report revealed a definite uptick in broadband rates. Furthermore, it turns out that these increases are not being spread evenly across US based residents, with some areas seeing steeper increases than others.

One of the most glaring revelations from this survey was that over half of respondents that initially got their subscription for $60 a month are now paying anywhere from $41 to $80 for the same service. In addition to this, 39% of consumers have had to cut back on expenses because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up helping them pay their internet bill each month.

According to 61% of consumers, inflation is the main culprit with all things having been considered and taken into account. 8% of respondents went so far as to say that they are getting lower speeds than might have been the case otherwise, although the vast majority, or 84% to be precise, stated that they are still getting more than 25 megabits per second. Notably, this is in line with the FCC’s official definition of what broadband is supposed to provide.

31% of consumers said that they are receiving speeds of 101 to 300 megabits per second, with 28% receiving 25-100 MBps making it the second most common broadband speed of all. 25% received the highest speeds of all, namely 301-1000 MBps, which indicates that there are still high speed consumers out there and that they are willing to pay a premium rate in order to gain access to the very best internet.

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by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

How Many Photos an Average American Captures Daily

Ever since smartphones and digital cameras became an intrinsic part of our lives, taking photos has never been easier. Capturing memories in a flash, something people of earlier generations did not have the privilege to do, is a remarkable testament to the technological advancements that have shaped the 21st century. In fact, such a facility had been unimaginable just a few decades ago. These pocket-sized devices have revolutionized the art of photography, allowing people from all diverse backgrounds to become visual storytellers, making the ability to preserve moments from their everyday lives effortlessly.

The Americans have genuinely benefitted from the privilege, as statistics reveal that they pull out their smartphones at least six times a day to capture photos. To better understand their photography habits, 2,000 adults from the United States participated in a survey that provided valuable insights. From the surveyed adults, 69% reported that group pictures with their families dominate their camera rolls, while 66% said they had photos of themselves with their friends. Besides, 63% claimed they had pictures of just their friends on their phones, and 58% said they had pictures of their family members, excluding themselves.

But other than pictures of family and friends, 58% of the adults revealed they had selfies on their phones, 53% stated they had pictures of their pets, and 43% of them had scenic shots snapped in their galleries. This indicates that Americans, on average, use this technology not only to take pictures of their friends and families but also to capture moments precious to them, such as photos of their dear pets and the magnificence of the natural world surrounding them, allowing them to relive and appreciate these memories later.

Regarding important events that mark a milestone, the respondents revealed that 44% of the adults took pictures of weddings, 45% reported that they had pictures of themselves at graduation, 40% had photos from various vacations, and 37% saved photographs taken at sporting events. In such special events, the adults had taken an average of 23 photos on every occasion. And to reminisce on those moments, those surveyed revealed that they would go through those photos 13 times a year or more than once a month.

However, the respondents acknowledged spending nearly half of their time taking pictures using their phones and around 40% of their time at events. Part of the reason they had done this was they believed that they needed to do this to remember every minute detail of memorable events.

In a research that OnePoll conducted on behalf of a photo book company, Mixbook, the findings revealed that a typical individual has over 3,000 photos (2,795) in their smartphone gallery and wants to print over one-third of these images (34%). Even though a whopping 70% of the respondents agreed about their inclination to print their photos, only 19% do so regularly, whereas 22% seldom find the time to do it.

More individuals took photos for themselves (61%), while 53% of them uploaded them to social media platforms, and 55% of them took photos to look back and cherish those special moments later. However, the results were more nuanced than the generalized findings. The adults revealed that their favourite pictures taken were not ones that were worthy of being uploaded to their social media accounts but were more personal than that. One respondent mentioned that they treasured a picture of themselves with their three great-grandchildren. Another talked about a picture of their cat that had passed away at 23. One adored a picture of their mother, and another delighted in looking back at a photo of their dog and cat playing with each other.

Andrew Laffoon, CEO of Mixbook, talked about the wondrous nature of photography and how photos can still time in special moments, one we wish would never tick away. He further spoke about how each picture unravelled a part of our lives and how dear photos can bring us closer to friends and families while deepening the magical connection in between. Laffoon recognized the significance of each story behind those memorable moments and how his company is working to transform them into something tangible that future generations could look back and cherish.

To understand whether the number of photos that the respondents took had changed in the past five years, 26% revealed that they took fewer pictures than they did. Whereas 31% stated that they have started to capture more photos. 68% indicated that they would like to go through them later, 56% said they wanted to remember each moment, and 62% said they wanted to remember what they looked like at the moment of the photo captured. 29% of them said they took photos of things they found cute.

However, there were respondents who complained about less storage space in their phones (59%), 57% expressed that they were unsure about what to do with their pictures, and 53% stated that they didn’t have much to take pictures of. Of those surveyed, 54% of them found going through their camera roll overwhelming. Laffoon admitted that our digital galleries have become a black hole of sorts, where the number of pictures we take tends to lose stories. His company aims to curate those memories, the ones that matter the most.

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by Ahmed Naeem via Digital Information World