Editorsweblog writes about a new study from University of Southern California’s Center for the digital future. It identifies ten trends that shape America’s digital future:
1. In America, The Digital Divide Is Closing, But Is Not Yet Closed As New Divides Emerge
2. The Media Habits Of The Nation Have Changed, And Continue To Change
3. The Credibility Of The Internet Is Dropping
4. We Have Just Begun to See the Changes to Come in Buying Online
5. The “Geek-Nerd” Perception Of The Internet Is Dead
6. Privacy And Security: Concerns Remain, But The High Levels Are Changing
7. The Internet Has Become The Number One Source For Information For Internet Users
8. The Benefits and Drawbacks Of The Internet For Children Are Still Coming Into Focus.
9. E-mail: “E-Nuff” Already?
10. Broadband Will Change Everything – Again
Trend number three is somewhat worrying, but not surprising. From the press release: “most users trust information on the Web sites they visit regularly, and on pages created by established media and the government. The information that users don’t trust is on Web sites posted by individuals.”
What conclusion can we make from this regarding for example blogs? I guess that blogs still can be considered credible, since you find your favourites that you read on a regular basis and you trust these sites, while you need to have a sceptical approach to blogs you are not familiar with.