Internet Peaks as America's Most Important Source of Information

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http://www.mercola.com/2003/mar/1/internet_health.htm

 

Internet Peaks as America's Most Important Source of Information

 

Internet users ranked the Internet as a more important information source than

books, newspapers, television, radio and magazines.

 

 

 

The Internet was listed as “very important” or “extremely important” by 61.1

percent of those surveyed, compared with books at 60.3 percent, newspapers at

57.8 percent, television at 50.2 percent, radio at 40 percent and magazines at

28.7 percent.

 

 

 

Even among those who had used the Internet for less than one year online, 52

percent said the Internet is a very important or extremely important information

source.

 

 

 

Despite this, the credibility of information found on the Internet has declined

for the first time since the report started three years ago.

 

 

 

In 2002, 52.8 percent of users said that most or all of the information online

is reliable and accurate compared with 58 percent in 2001 and 55 percent in

2000.

 

 

 

Among non-users Internet credibility ranked even lower. In 2002, 33.6 percent of

non-users said that most or all of the information on the Internet is reliable

and accurate compared with 36.7 percent in 2001 and a similar 33.3 percent in

2000.

 

 

 

The report found that television viewing has continued to decline among Internet

users. Researchers suggest that users may be spending time on the Internet that

they used to spend watching television.

 

 

 

In 2002, Internet users watched 11.2 hours of television per weeks while in 2001

they watched 12.3. They also watched less television than non-users, 5.4 hours

less in 2002 and 4.5 hours less in 2001.

 

 

 

Correspondingly, use of the Internet at home has increased substantially. Of the

71.1 percent of Americans who use the Internet, close to 60 percent have

Internet access at home. In 2000, only 46.9 percent of users reported home

Internet access.

 

 

 

Internet users have also been spending more time online. In 2000 they spent an

average of 9.3 hours online per week compared with 9.8 hours in 2001, but in

2002 the average number of hours spent online per week increased to 11.1.

 

 

 

Science Daily February 10, 2003

 

 

 

UCLA Internet Report (PDF) January 31, 2003

 

 

 

 

DR. MERCOLA'S COMMENT:

document.write ( " E-mail to a friend " );E-mail to a friend

 

It is quite obvious that the Internet will soon be as prevalent and as important

as the telephone. Of course there will be many twists and turns before it

finally matures, especially as it relates to health.

 

 

 

A recent German survey showed that one in four Internet users search online for

medical information before or after a visit to the doctor.

 

 

 

As I said last month:

 

 

Finding quality information on the Internet can be a major challenge--I know

because I have been doing it for years.

 

 

 

This is one of the reasons why this site exists. It was initially started to

satisfy my desire to keep current on new medical information and understand the

truth when it came to health.

 

 

 

Previous studies have concluded that Internet users should prefer non-commercial

sites that reference the information to scientific publications when searching

for drug information.

 

 

 

Unlike the most popular commercial Web site, WebMD, Mercola.com--the second-most

popular natural health site overall--is not owned by any drug company.

 

WebMD is owned by Lilly, the same drug company that, through the recently passed

Homeland Security Bill, maneuvered their way out of any responsibility for

supplying the mercury in the vaccines that injured tens of thousands of

children.

 

Would you really trust a Web site that is owned by this company?

 

 

 

If you research my site, you will see it definitely fills the criteria for a

non-commercial site that references scientific publications.

 

 

 

Not only are the references listed, but also nearly all of them include a

hyperlink to the actual original article or its abstract in Medline. This gives

you the opportunity to read the original study and make your own conclusions.

 

 

 

I provide factual medical and health-related articles with my own natural

medicine-oriented commentary and let you sort out the truth for yourself.

 

 

 

It seems that many people find this site helpful as it has grown into one of the

top health Web sites in the world. Our logs indicate that our site has visitors

from virtually every country in the world that has access to the Internet.

 

 

 

Every month we have about 5 million “hits” and over 750,000 visits; the primary

reason our numbers are so high and keep growing, I suspect, is the depth and

breadth of health information I provide and the integrity with which I present

it.

 

 

 

I am not, and will never be, beholden to pharmaceutical companies or any other

“health” institution whose true goal is greed. Instead, my goal, my vision, is

and will remain providing you with the knowledge to achieve your own true

healing and optimal health.

 

 

Gettingwell- / Vitamins, Herbs, Aminos, etc.

 

To , e-mail to: Gettingwell-

Or, go to our group site: Gettingwell

 

 

 

 

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