The Internet has brought so much potential to our lives in terms of opportunities and options available to us.  Instead of calling someone on a phone (land-line for that matter) or writing a letter with pen and paper, you can now e-mail them, IM (Instant Message), post a comment to a blog or an on-line discussion forum, you can call them from your cell phone on a snorkel boat in Hawaii (I personally experienced that one last week)…but anyway, the point is that our available means of communication has changed drastically over the last few decades. 

In talking with my mom, I will leave her age unsaid, but she falls into the middle group (she’s not old enough to get the senior discount yet, but close), she says that she’s got no computer skills at all; however, I would beg to differ.  She can turn it on and off and e-mail, type, or surf the Internet, but if she’s got to troubleshoot it at all, no chance!  Personally, I think she underestimates her abilities, but maybe that’s a trend with her age group?   

Anyway, her primary uses are e-mail and an occasional word processing need (i.e. the yearly Christmas Letter), since she’s self-employed (and has been for 25 years).  She still does most things the old fashion way with hard copies and ledger books.  When I think of her IM’ing or participating in an on-line discussion, I have to laugh.  She just started utilizing text messaging on her cell phone last month (and it’s a rare occurrence at that). 

Overall, my mom thinks that the Internet is a good thing, for today’s generation.  She says that hers is to far past it (they can live without it), but she thinks that it does offer some great opportunities for today’s times.  She still thinks that it’s amazing that I could finish my Bachelor’s degree totally on-line from Oregon State! 

The next person I talked to was my younger sister.  She had already been shocked by the abstinence exercise earlier in the term, so I thought that she might have some interesting things to say about her Internet usage. 

Being newly graduated and working full-time in Accounting, she says that she couldn’t imagine life without the Internet.  Her company is completely paperless; every thing’s kept on-line.  They communicate (all hours of the day and night she says) via e-mail, IM, or cell phone’s.  All employees have dual monitor displays at home with laptops and access to all of the companies software 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week.  She says that she never really gets away from work…she’ll soon learn boundaries, but for now she LOVES it!

Overall, she’s embarrassed the Internet for all of it’s potential and it’s a good thing right now, I have to wonder though if it won’t become a bad thing when she’s burned out and CAN’T seem to get away from work?!? 

Last, by not least, my grandparents had some words to add about the Internet.  It’s worthless!!  My grandpa, bless his heart, says that his computer does nothing but sit over in the corner collecting dust.  The only thing that he knows how to do it play solitaire, but who wants to wait the 20 minutes it takes to warm up, when you could just go grab a deck of cards and be done with it!?!  I don’t know grandpa!  Now gran-it, his computer is extremely old and slow and he doesn’t have any access to the Internet, never has and never will he says: that’s for the younger generation! 

Overall, he thinks that it’s got potential for today’s kids, but he’s got no need for it.  And he often wonder’s why we can’t just be happy with what we’ve already got?  “I remember when we got our first Black & White TV…..too funny!!

So, what does it all mean….I found that the younger you are the more you like the Internet and the older the generations get, the more they have no need for it.  And I suppose, if I were to interview my great grandpa, he’d probably avoid the whole thing all together?!?