The Internet has become an extension to everyday life. From iPhones, iPads, laptops and tablets, users can be connected every second of the day. But how is this time actually spent? With access to a wide range of media on this single media platform, there are a multitude of routes to take.
Specifically regarding entertainment, the Internet can be a source of un-interrupted amusement for its users. So, what are Internet users actually doing?
According to data from go-gulf.com, these are the top three ways people use the Internet:
- Social Networking – 22%
- Searches – 21%
- Reading Content – 20%
Additionally, popular activities on the Internet include:
- Hobbies – 83%
- Info search on buying products – 78%
- Entertainment – 72%
The categories listed above are all ways in which users are entertaining themselves while online. Entertainment from the Internet is so easily done because users are narrowcasting themselves, a term found in John Vivian’s text The Media of Mass Communication.
Narrowcasting is defined as “seeking niche audiences, as opposed to broadcasting’s traditional audience-building concept.” When going online with the sole purpose of wanting to be entertained, Internet users are seeking ‘niche sites’ as opposed to ‘traditional audience-building’ concepts or a heterogeneous audience. The user searches for sites and activities specifically for them when wanting to be entertained. They do not look for an activity a general audience will enjoy with them. While consumers choose their websites, it’s important to realize that websites choose their consumers as well. Buzzfeed is just one website that uses intriguing and specific titles on its articles and quizzes to attract specific audiences. For example, a quiz titled “How Well Do You Know Salvadoran Slang?” does not appeal to a mass audience, but will be specifically popular with a niche audience.
Further, once the user has found the entertainment source desired, they enter what psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihaly calls flow in danah boyd’s novel it’s complicated. Flow is that state of complete and utter absorption. Have you ever been humorously dragged into a flow that lasts for hours at a time? You think you will spend just five minutes on Facebook but that five minutes turns into an hour…yes, we have all been there.
Searching for entertainment through the Internet is an individualistic, time-consuming and common activity for all. What makes the practice worthwhile is how all users can search for entertainment that fulfills their own needs, without having to filter through unwanted media.
Sources:
Media and Entertainment 
This was a great read, Sam! As someone who is always online, whether I want to admit it or not, this was fun to learn about as well as informative. Your statistics here were perfect and placed well. Reading about Buzzfeed was interesting. I am a sucker for a captivating title of an article or quiz on Buzzed and can get sucked into those for hours. I like how many different hyperlinks are also featured in your article. I liked reading further into some of the articles you features, like the Go-Gulf website.
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I loved reading this! I really enjoyed gaining some insight into what people actually spend their time on when using the internet and why they are getting online in the first place. Incorporating those percentages was very helpful- I have always wondered the data behind the time we spend online. I also loved how you integrated a reference to our textbook-very applicable!
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