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Double D · 09-01-2003, 08:58 AM

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.j...t&section=news
By Ben Berkowitz
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - You've just moved into the dormitory for your freshman year at college, and there are three important things you need to know: 1. Beer is not a food group, 2. There is a bed in the room for a reason and 3. The Internet is your friend.

All across the nation, teenagers are preparing for their first adult experiences away from their parents, and for many, that will include a high-speed Internet connection dozens of times faster than dialup modems right in the comfort of the tiny box of a room they call home.

"The college students were cutting edge in terms of having access to broadband for a long time," said Greg Bloom, a senior analyst at online audience measurement company Nielsen NetRatings.

During July, according to NetRatings, people ages 18 to 24 spent nearly 27 hours in active online use, viewing, on average, more than 900 Web pages.

Some students will certainly use their newfangled connections to study. But entertainment -- not academics -- ranks as the top draw among the college-centric crowd.

In February, a typical college month as tracked by NetRatings, among the top Web destinations were file-sharing site Kazaa (http://www.kazaa.com), music site Winamp (http://www.winamp.com) and attractiveness-ratings site Hot Or Not? (http://www.hotornot.com).

For socially minded students on the go, who consider the weekend the most important part of the school week, city guides are an indispensable tool, with hints from "the locals" on where to eat, where to shop and where to listen to the best music.

The best known of these guides is CitySearch (http://www.citysearch.com), though the more technically inclined may want to try Vindigo (http://www.vindigo.com) to update their handheld computers or phones. Independent weekly newspapers are also a good resources, like those published by the New Times (http://www.newtimes.com) and Village Voice (http://www.villagevoice.com) chains.

EATING AND PAYING FOR IT

The online grocery business may have been one of the great disasters of the Internet bubble era of the late 1990s, but there are still some sites to get the bare necessities of dorm life -- things like packaged noodles, canned soup, and cookies.

NetGrocer (http://www.netgrocer.com) will ship food by FedEx, while Peapod (http://www.peapod.com), in certain markets, can deliver directly to the dorm-room door.

Of course, all this partying and shopping and eating takes money, and every year more than a few parents recoil in horror after seeing the credit card bills their young ones have rung up in their first few weeks of freedom.

For parents worried that may happen to them, organizations like College Parents of America (http://www.collegeparents.org) offer special programs, including credit cards with spending limits and other restrictions.

The office of Minnesota's Attorney General also offers a guide (https://www.ag.state.mn.us/consumer/...llege_Crdt.htm) warning parents and students of the perils of sinking into debt.

But more than any other Web site, there is one of such paramount importance that every collegian -- from the smallest of schools to the largest -- should have it bookmarked prominently in their Web browser.

That site is CliffsNotes.com (http://www.cliffsnotes.com), home of abridged, quick-reading versions of the most important classic books.
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So do the benefits of the Internet listed here really outweigh the negatives--like staying up for hours surfing for pr0n or chatting on-line or hanging out at TFP when you should be studying or getting that important paper done?

09-01-2003, 08:58 AM	#1 (permalink)
Double D Junkie Location: Chicagoland	Livewire: Internet Full of Helpful Distractions for Students http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.j...t&section=news By Ben Berkowitz LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - You've just moved into the dormitory for your freshman year at college, and there are three important things you need to know: 1. Beer is not a food group, 2. There is a bed in the room for a reason and 3. The Internet is your friend. All across the nation, teenagers are preparing for their first adult experiences away from their parents, and for many, that will include a high-speed Internet connection dozens of times faster than dialup modems right in the comfort of the tiny box of a room they call home. "The college students were cutting edge in terms of having access to broadband for a long time," said Greg Bloom, a senior analyst at online audience measurement company Nielsen NetRatings. During July, according to NetRatings, people ages 18 to 24 spent nearly 27 hours in active online use, viewing, on average, more than 900 Web pages. Some students will certainly use their newfangled connections to study. But entertainment -- not academics -- ranks as the top draw among the college-centric crowd. In February, a typical college month as tracked by NetRatings, among the top Web destinations were file-sharing site Kazaa (http://www.kazaa.com), music site Winamp (http://www.winamp.com) and attractiveness-ratings site Hot Or Not? (http://www.hotornot.com). For socially minded students on the go, who consider the weekend the most important part of the school week, city guides are an indispensable tool, with hints from "the locals" on where to eat, where to shop and where to listen to the best music. The best known of these guides is CitySearch (http://www.citysearch.com), though the more technically inclined may want to try Vindigo (http://www.vindigo.com) to update their handheld computers or phones. Independent weekly newspapers are also a good resources, like those published by the New Times (http://www.newtimes.com) and Village Voice (http://www.villagevoice.com) chains. EATING AND PAYING FOR IT The online grocery business may have been one of the great disasters of the Internet bubble era of the late 1990s, but there are still some sites to get the bare necessities of dorm life -- things like packaged noodles, canned soup, and cookies. NetGrocer (http://www.netgrocer.com) will ship food by FedEx, while Peapod (http://www.peapod.com), in certain markets, can deliver directly to the dorm-room door. Of course, all this partying and shopping and eating takes money, and every year more than a few parents recoil in horror after seeing the credit card bills their young ones have rung up in their first few weeks of freedom. For parents worried that may happen to them, organizations like College Parents of America (http://www.collegeparents.org) offer special programs, including credit cards with spending limits and other restrictions. The office of Minnesota's Attorney General also offers a guide (https://www.ag.state.mn.us/consumer/...llege_Crdt.htm) warning parents and students of the perils of sinking into debt. But more than any other Web site, there is one of such paramount importance that every collegian -- from the smallest of schools to the largest -- should have it bookmarked prominently in their Web browser. That site is CliffsNotes.com (http://www.cliffsnotes.com), home of abridged, quick-reading versions of the most important classic books. ---------------------------------------------- So do the benefits of the Internet listed here really outweigh the negatives--like staying up for hours surfing for pr0n or chatting on-line or hanging out at TFP when you should be studying or getting that important paper done? Last edited by Double D; 09-01-2003 at 09:02 AM..