Last week, Ofcom (UK) released a qualitative study of internet behavio(u)r and the results are both predictable and fascinating. One key given is that experiences were dictated by levels of digital literacy; this reminds us that there are real-world effects on skill and knowledge development that result from lack of regular access to digital technologies. The study also concerned strategies that users employ to remain “safe” in the online world as they seek information and services.

This is a fascinating study for those of us interested in learning and the construction of knowledge(s) online and through digital technologies. Ofcom – independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries – shared the findings of the qualitative work conducted by Ipsos MORI on 10 June 2013. The study concludes that “Information Seeking” dominates internet users’ activities – followed by online shopping; pertinent findings for how we can frame and understand information we place online as educators. The study found that participants make subconscious decisions weighing risks and benefits while performing their activities. Therefore, because information seeking is low risk and high reward (low cost, high benefit) it has the best ratio of benefits to drawback and is the prevalent online behavior.

As educators and researchers, we should consider the ways in which people discover and integrate knowledge in the digital realm; then we should also think about these impact of these rapid-paced decisions. There are, of course, entire industries devoted to “getting someone’s attention” online… but perhaps this is more about understanding how that span of attention can be best linked to other spans of attention, to make bridges of knowledge that cover the gaps between.

Another intriguing conclusion: people did not frequently perform civic duties or information-seeking about civic services online. This could be an important finding regarding spreading information and leading behavior for services such as waste management, power, and services.

Read details of the report through the link and the report summary below:

Ofcom has today published qualitative research carried out by Ipsos MORI, looking at how people use the internet and interact with online services. “Being online: an investigation of people’s habits and attitudes” was commissioned to inform Ofcom’s duties in relation to consumers’ and citizens’ communications interests, and its regulatory duty to promote media literacy. The study finds that people tend to make subconscious trade-offs between risk and rewards in their online activities. People use very varied strategies for staying safe online, and there is little consensus as to what these strategies should be, as well as misconceptions about what constitutes “safe” behaviour.

We will use these findings to help further our media literacy research programme, identifying core areas to track over time via quantitative research. In addition, we intend to engage with stakeholders to highlight possible areas of focus for end-user initiatives, relating to online security, perception of risk, use of personal data and attitudes to rights and responsibilities.