Computer Use Rising
Newcastle Herald
Wednesday April 30, 2008
HUNTER households are relying more on their computers for day-to-day tasks such as banking and shopping, a survey has revealed.
A Hunter Valley Research Foundation survey shows an increase in the number of Hunter households using their computer daily.About 80 per cent of households surveyed used a computer every day and 99 per cent of families with computer access used it at least once every week.The survey also revealed a jump in the number of houses with web access using broadband services, rising from 4 per cent to 80 per cent in the past five years.It also showed a rise in the number and value of purchases online, with 30 per cent of people who bought online spending between $1001 and $5000 in 2008 compared with 16 per cent in 2006. Broadmeadow resident and mother of two Maree Campbell said her family used the computer daily to perform a range of tasks from banking to socialising."I use it for email and going online to look for resources," she said."I also use internet banking, pay the credit cards and have bought things online in the past."Mrs Campbell said her children, Zachary and Claire, used the internet to send emails, play games and access resources for school as they were now more aware of what the internet had to offer.Foundation co-director of research Robin Mcdonald said the survey gave quantitative backing to anecdotal evidence that Hunter people were using their computers and the internet more often."A higher proportion of households are using their computer to buy things," she said."Ten years ago this was relatively rare, now it is the norm."The survey also showed that businesses were relying on their computer systems to perform more tasks.
© 2008 Newcastle Herald