A survey released today shows that students are gadget crazy and own a wide range of digital technology that enables them to access information, including PDAs, MP3 players, laptop computers and state of the art televisions.
The survey, carried out by an insurance company focussed on how much students spent on technology and luxury goods - £2,900 pounds, up a thousand over the last decade. But the results also indicate the changing information usage patterns of students. Two thirds of those surveyed own a laptop computer, over half an MP3 player and six per cent a PDA. All three of these devices perform information access and management tasks. The survey also found that 48% of those surveyed own a DVD player and 12% a wide screen television.
For academia this means that lecturers, e-learning suites and librarians need to look at a wider range of information resources than web based content and books. A fact backed up by the survey, which found that 40% would spend more on clothes than books.
With students clearly showing a passion for digital living information providers need to reflect the changing information usage patterns of students, who will become corporate information users. Mark Thomson at the BBC seems to have understood this with his moves to make all BBC content available on all information platforms. The rest of the information sector needs to follow his lead and the patterns of these future users.
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