Comparing Internet Habits

Comparing Internet Habits
Mary Hamilton

The first thing I noticed is how frequently people use facebook. I don't have a facebook page since I prefer to socialize in person. I've known that many people use facebook quite a lot. Nevertheless, I'm surprised how often my classmates check their facebook page.

My classmates also seem to use the Internet for tech support, for instance, looking at reviews for computer accessories. Since I'm not much of a tech person, I don't look at tech support sites much.

Many people looked at the main news websites such as CNN, Foxnews, or ABC. I do this too, although I did not do it this weekend. Last Friday, I looked up many of these news sites to see how they approached the incident where a pro-healthcare protester bit off a anti-healthcare protester's finger. Each news site (Politico and National Review Online in particular) emphasized a different aspect of the story. Very interesting. A few other students also compared the same stories or issues on different news sites. I especially like reading the news on the Internet because I don't have cable, I don't have time to wait for the news on the network stations, and the network ads are all for geriatric prescription medicine!

When I'm on the Internet, I like to limit my focus to a few sites or interests. Since I have several personal interests, I tend to check sites such as Attackpoint and World of O frequently. Many of my classmates read the Internet at a faster pace, jumping from site to site or visiting the same one many times in a single day.

I really enjoyed comparing my Internet notes with my classmates. This project showed me what other students my age are doing. Now I'm a little more aware of my own Internet reading and I hope I'll maximize the time I spend on it a little better in the future.