Internet As Essential As Air, Water & Food !!!!!!!!

Internet access seems to have become a basic need, ranking behind air, water, food and shelter for at least for 33% of the respondents to a global survey by networking giant Cisco.The study also pointed out that four out of five college students and young employees surveyed believed that the internet is important and an essential part of their lives. The 2011 Cisco Connected World Technology Report conducted by third-party market research firm InsightExpress surveyed 1,441 college students (aged 18-24) and 1,412 employees (aged 21-29) from 14 countries, including the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, UK, France, Russia, India and China.In India, 95% of the college students and young employees surveyed said the internet is as important in their lives as water, food, air and shelter.

In India, 95 per cent of the college students and young employees surveyed said the internet is as important in their lives as water, food, air and shelter."Internet is no longer a 'good to have', it is now a 'must have'. There is a conscious need to be connected at all times from all locations, accelerated by the growth of social media and smart mobile devices which provide easy access to the Internet," Cisco India and SAARC Vice-President (Borderless Networks) Mahesh Gupta told reporters in a teleconference. The report provides an insight into this phenomenon by focusing on current and future employees and provides a barometer on how companies can best address their needs, expectations and issues, he added.About 64 per cent of the respondents (two out of three) said they would prefer an internet connection over a car.

The survey also found that eight in 10 students check their Facebook at least once a day and 73 per cent of young employees do the same."The results of the Cisco Connected World Technology Report should make businesses re-examine how they need to evolve in order to attract talent and shape their business models," Marie Hattar, VP of enterprise marketing at Cisco, said in a canned statement on the results. The study took an online survey of 1,441 college students and 1,412 employees under the age of 30 in 14 countries

On the importance of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to the younger generation, the report said 27 per cent (one in four) said they would rather update their status messages on Facebook than party, date or hang out with friends, if there had to be a choice between them. The survey also revealed that smartphones and laptops trumped televisions in the survey respondents' preference, with only one out of 10 college students opting for TV as the most important device in their lives.

In terms of usage of social networking site Facebook, Indian respondents were ranked highest in the survey, with 92% of students checking their accounts daily, while one-third (33%) check their virtual walls at least five times a day.The survey also said 85% of employees in India confirmed adding their colleagues and managers as friends on Facebook.The report also strongly indicated that the use of paper has gone down significantly among the youth, as two out of five students have not bought a book from a bookstore in the last two years.