How people use their time is also of interest. Something s got to give. A recent poll conducted by InterSurvey for Gomez Advisors, reported on in The DLJ Monthly, found that 25 percent of those surveyed believe the Internet has decreased the time they spend reading a newspaper. Nearly half, though, said the Internet has decreased the amount of time they spend watching television, and more than one-fourth said the Internet has increased the amount of time they spend doing work at home. But, it s really too early to say these are trends at all.
People using a new technology tend to use it a lot.
Use falls over time as they settle in on a few relatively simple tools, such as e-mail. And as technology improves, giving people better ways to download information from the Web, the time required to use the Net will shrink. At the same time, though, its utility will increase. Take a look at what s going on with the stock market these days. Whether it s the smart money remains to be seen.