Ethnographic Study About Life Without Internet: Feelings of Loss and Frustration

Press Release

All participants in the qualitative portion of the study found living without the Internet more difficult than they expected, and in some cases impossible, because the tools and services the Internet offers were firmly ingrained in their daily lives. Nearly half the respondents in a complementary quantitative study indicated they could not go without the Internet for more than two weeks and the median time respondents could go without being online is five days.

The qualitative portion of the study, fielded by Conifer Research, consisted of an ethnographic study in which participants chronicled their lives without the Internet for a period of two weeks. The study provided a deep view into the emotional connections consumers have with the Internet as the medium that helps them drive their lives.

Regardless of age, household income or ethnic background, all participants in the ethnographic research study experienced withdrawal and feelings of loss, frustration and disconnectedness when cut off from the online world. Users described their time offline as 'feeling left out of the loop,'and missing their 'private escape time' during the day. The survey findings demonstrate that a larger circle of social networks have developed as a result of Web access. >> continue (LINK UPDATED)

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Ethnographic Research by Conifer Research