Oxford, UK, – The British media’s negative view of the internet is out of sync with the public’s positive opinion, according to research released today. Analysis of 1,000 media articles on internet topics found that over three quarters of coverage (76%) had a strong negative sentiment, in contrast with public opinion, where a national study of 5,000 people for Nominet found that 87% of Brits believe the internet has had a positive effect on their lives. The research marks the seventh annual Nominet Internet Awards ceremony, which last night recognised several British projects which help to make the internet a more secure, open, accessible and diverse experience for all.
Analysis of media coverage reveals that the three most common internet topics are cyber-bullying and trolling (appearing in 18% of articles), online fraud (14%) and online privacy (9%), while the three areas of Brits’ lives that the internet has had the biggest positive impact on are in managing our everyday life (98%), helping with our personal & social life (93%) and supporting with skills, knowledge & learning (86%).
The internet has had a number of positive effects on our everyday lives: 63% of us have used it to keep in touch with friends or family we don’t normally see, 69% have saved money while shopping, a third (33%) have learnt a new skill and a quarter (25%) have used it to find a new job. The internet brings us entertainment – six in 10 (59%) of us have caught up on TV shows after they were broadcast and over 4 in 10 (43%) download or stream music – and is also redefining our personal relationships, with over a third (36%) saying that the internet has helped them in their love life. The winners of the 2013 Nominet Internet Awards mirror the diversity of benefits the internet provides to all ages and all walks of life, ranging from a youth mentoring service to homemade baby food delivery service (see below for full list of winners).
Respondents to the survey have noticed the media’s negative take on the internet, saying that cybercrime and online trolling or bullying were the internet topics they remembered most from the media (for 24% and 23% of respondents respectively). However, while a quarter say media coverage makes them take more steps to ensure their online safety, most seem to ignore it, with the majority (52%) saying media coverage has no effect on how they use the internet.
“For all that the internet may get some bad press, the majority of us clearly love the internet,” comments Lesley Cowley, CEO of Nominet. “The survey shows that despite its media profile, only the smallest minority of Brits perceives the internet to be a negative influence. While safety and security are of course a concern when online, we mustn’t forget the positive difference it makes to our lives and wider society every day.”
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