A growing number of Canadians consider the Internet a very important source of information, even though less than half of them consider it accurate, according to a new survey.
The survey was conducted by the Canadian Internet Project (CIP), a research organization that studies the role of the Internet in society. IT released the results of the survey Wednesday, and compared them with data from other countries, collected through the World Internet Project (WIP), of which it is a part.
The survey of 3000 people, found that the Internet is now a regular feature in most Canadian lives. Of those surveyed, 72% they use the Internet, the highest percentage of any country except the U.S. And even among those who aren't online, nearly a third are 'ex-users' who were online at one point in the past.
Almost every country surveyed said the Internet was an important or very important source of information, in some cases surpassing newspapers. But Canadians appear far less trusting of that information than most countries, with only 36% saying they found it reliable and accurate.
Dr. Andre Caron, project Co-Director of CIP says this may be a natural result of increased Internet usage. "You become more critical as you know more." He says this skepticism is not necessarily negative, but cautious.
"The Internet changes the rules of everything," says Dr. Jeffrey Cole of the University of Southern California, and coordinator of the American chapter of WIP. Unlike television, which he says is largely for leisure, Cole believes that the Internet will have a much more profound affect on how people learn, communicate, and do business - Canada leads the world in on-line purchasing according to the survey. "There is not an activity that will not be changed."
Another key difference with older mediums is the sense of political empowerment some feel the Internet gives them, particularly in China, where more than half of respondents said the Internet gives them more political power, more say in their government, and helps them understand politics better. No other countries quite share this optimism. Only 19% of Canadians thought the Internet would give them more say in government. "Never did TV or newspapers make people feel powerful" said Cole.
CIP hopes to conduct another survey in two years time.
