Summary of Findings
Technology Thinkers and Stakeholders Assess the Future Social, Political, and Economic Impact of the Internet
Hundreds of Internet leaders, activists, builders, and commentators were asked about the effect of the Internet on social, political, and economic life by the year 2020. The views of the 742 respondents who completed this survey were varied; while there is notable agreement about how technology might evolve, there is not consensus among these respondents about the overall results of this evolution. Among the topics discussed were the pros and cons of pervasive, autonomous technology; the loss of privacy; the impact of virtual reality; the “flat world” revolution; the possibility that some people living “off the grid” may protest violently against accelerating technology; and the ordering of world priorities in regard to developing information and communication technologies.
Reacting to several scenarios constructed by the Pew Internet & American Life Project about the possible future impact of the Internet, the respondents struck on several themes and challenges in their answers: