Epilogue: Who We Are and Why It Matters

So we’ve finally come to the end of the book, and I don’t know about you all, but after all that reading I’m still left with a few questions. Nevertheless, here is the chapter review.

Tancer gives some insight into his catalyst for writing this book. He is often intrigued by things that he has seen or heard and, as a lover of data, feels the urge to explore these topics further. Often a simple search will transform into a more in-depth analysis. Tancer references his foray into the world of Restless Leg Syndrome and poses a valid question about the correlation between media coverage and Internet searches. Does the media coverage of a new topic (like Restless Leg Syndrome) drive searches on the topic? I would venture to say yes. Information from news stories and commercials can cause users to respond online in a certain way. I’m sure that searches for “swine flu” have dramatically increased in the last few days.

Tancer also writes about how people have been bombarded with information from a variety of sources including the Internet, television, radio, and newspapers. This takes me back to the first day of MIS class when Dr. Lohrke showed that short video clip overrun with information. How we respond to information overload provides insight into what affects us. This is the key for corporate executives, many of whom are looking for innovative ways to gain new customers and keep old ones.

The Internet is changing how we experience the world. It seems as though we have gone from a nation of delayed gratification to one of instant gratification. We can be very impatient; we want what we want and we want it now. Gone are the days of sitting around the table reading the newspaper, writing letters to pen pals (this was popular a really long time ago but I’m sure all of us remember), and making friends the old-fashioned way. These tried-and-true ways of conducting day-to-day business and personal affairs are obsolete. Now practically everyone uses the Internet to catch up on the news, write emails, and “friend” each other on Facebook. Although come to think of it, it seems like even Facebook is past its prime.

So what does this all mean? Apparently, everything new quickly becomes old, courtesy of the Internet. Even when we think we have the most accurate and up-to-date information, a click of the refresh button quickly changes all that. Tancer concludes the book with this paramount statement: “If you want to understand the new connected world and how we choose to live in it, look no further than our Internet behavior; after all, we are what we click.”