Things sure have changed since my college days. According to a survey sponsored by the Wi-Fi Aliance, 48% of college students would give up beer before giving up Wi-Fi.
“Wi-Fi is expected as part of today’s campus experience both from an educational perspective as well as from a social perspective. Students expect Wi-Fi so that they can learn anytime and anywhere on campus as well as always be available for friends and family,” said Stan Schatt, vice president and research director at ABI Research. “We expect to see Wi-Fipenetration in U.S. universities at 99% by 2013.”
According to the new survey:
* If forced to choose, nearly half of respondents (48 percent) would
give up beer before giving up Wi-Fi.
* Seventy-two percent would rather wear their school rival’s team
colors for a day.
* More than two in five (44 percent) used Wi-Fi to get a head start on
an assignment before a class was finished.
* More than half have checked Facebook or MySpace and sent or
received e-mail while using their laptop in class. Just under half sent
instant messages to a friend during class.
* Many students reported that the availability of Wi-Fi influences
their choice of coffee shop (52 percent), bookstore (42 percent), and
restaurant (33 percent).
via Gadgetell