Universal Hope & Fear Of A Tech-Driven Future.

A new study of tech-savvy consumers in 19 cities around the world provides a candid global portrait of digital living in 2001 and beyond, and reveals some surprising insights into how people are adapting technology to their everyday lives.

“Wired & Wireless: High-Tech Capitals Now and Next” was conducted by Euro RSCG Worldwide, one of the world’s leading advertising and communications networks. The study queried consumers in cities around the world with heavy penetrations of wired Internet usage and/or mobile, wireless devices, as well as in emerging markets with rapidly rising technology usage rates.

Among the findings of the study:

* America, Tech Superpower No More?: The United States may have been the original pioneer of the digital age, but its future as the technology superpower is less certain. When asked whether they felt that “American domination of the Internet will soon be over,” more than half (52%) of British respondents agreed with this statement, as did 36% of those from Asia-Pacific nations and 30% of Americans. Moreover, 37% of the total global sample believe that Asia Pacific
will be the world’s high-tech leader by 2025, compared with just 25% who cited North America.

* Biotech Is the Next “Ology”: Many respondents in the Euro RSCG Worldwide study anticipate that the next big technological breakthrough will take place in biotechnology. Most think that the next major technological advancement will involve such possible developments as human and animal cloning, cures for major diseases such as AIDS and cancer, and/or innovations in food engineering. Nearly a third (31%) of respondents agree completely, and 27% agree somewhat, that “within my lifetime, a human being will be cloned.” Forty percent of Americans agree completely with this statement,
compared with 0% of Italian respondents.

* Biggest Fear: The Fusion of Man and Machine: When asked the question, “Is there any current or potential use of technology that truly frightens you?” many respondents in the “Wired & Wireless” study pointed to a world in which human thinking is replaced by robots. In fact, respondents from all over the globe universally agree that “the fusion of humans and computers” is their biggest technology-related fear. Twelve percent of respondents agree completely that “technology is harming our sense of humanity,” and another 26% agree somewhat with this statement. As it becomes a more tangible worry, concern grows even greater: 45% of respondents agree completely that “computer terrorism (against corporations and
governments) will be a growing problem.” And another 35% agree somewhat with this statement. When queried as to whether they worry that “computers will grow too powerful for people to control,” 8% agreed completely and 18% agreed somewhat. Americans are less worried about this possibility than are respondents in other regions. Just 4.5% of Americans agree completely with this statement, versus 7% of Europeans, 9% of Latin Americans, and 11% of those in Asia Pacific. These same fears carry over into concerns that “over the long term, technology will be a negative force in society,” with 5% of the total sample agreeing completely, including 7% of Europeans and 1% of Americans.

* Will the PC Be Passe?: When asked how they predict most people will access the Internet in 2025, the majority of global respondents (63%) said the transaction will be made via mobile phone or another wireless device. Another 23% envision most people using the television for this purpose, while only 14% think the PC will dominate. Six percent of Americans believe that ‘Net access will predominantly be via mobile telephone in 2025, while 13.5% believe it will be via computer, 18% believe it will be via TV, and fully 63% believe it will be via another type of wireless device.

* Parlez Vous … Cyberspeak?: In the ’90s, Americans were the leading builders of the World Wide Web, resulting in a predominantly English-language medium. However, with estimates indicating that nearly 80% of Internet users in 2005 will not be native English speakers, the future language of the Web is uncertain. While many respondents feel that English will continue to dominate given its position as a “universal” language, a significant number of those surveyed indicate that Chinese may become the most often-used language on the Web in the near future.

* Tops on the Technophile’s Wish List: Flying DeLoreans, Personal Jet Packs: Think most people have put behind them their dreams of Jetsons-like travel? Think again. When respondents were asked what they’d “like to see invented in the absence of technological limitations,” most wished for a world in which time travel is not only possible, but commonplace. The high-tech products that respondents would most like to see include mobile phones with video, cameras to stay in touch with family (when traveling), flying cars, and teleportation devices.

* Now, More Than Ever, There’s No Place Like Home: At one time, our personal and professional lives were clearly demarcated: one went to the office to work, to school to learn, to the movies to be entertained, and back home to spend time with family. However, over the past few decades these lines have been gradually blurred, and now technology is blurring this construction even further.

Respondents around the world agree that technology is on the brink of creating an all-in-one digital lifestyle, where work is performed at home, education occurs at worksites or in the home, and entertainment can be experienced anywhere. In the minds of many respondents, home will become the new headquarters.

These findings are taken from “Wired & Wireless: High-Tech Capitals Now and Next,” a study by Euro RSCG Worldwide. The study probes consumer attitudes toward technology and the digital lifestyle in 19 markets: those with high rates of computer and Internet penetration (“wired capitals”) — Amsterdam, Hong Kong, London, San Francisco, Seoul, Singapore, Sydney; those with high rates of mobile phone-based Internet usage (“wireless capitals”) — Helsinki, Tel Aviv, Tokyo; and those that appear poised for increased penetration of high-tech devices (“up-and-comers”) — Berlin, Budapest, Mexico City, Milan, Paris, Prague, Sao Paulo, Shanghai, Warsaw.

“Wired & Wireless” was conducted in April and May 2001, and consisted of four parts: a 100-question e-poll (1,830 respondents); a 40-question, self-administered written survey (108 respondents); videography and photo documentation of the digital lifestyle in each market; and extensive secondary research. In addition to the 108 self-administered interviews in the target markets, Euro RSCG received survey responses from approximately 50 respondents elsewhere in the world (ranging from New York City to Bangalore, India).

Respondents to the e-poll and self-administered survey were self-selected. Because the study was conducted online, every respondent has, to some degree, embraced new technologies, but their range of usage and mastery is broad. The study was confined to persons in each market with sufficient facility in English to understand and respond to a poll or survey in that language.

For more information at http://www.eurorscg.com