Pew asks: Where do you fit? - NeverEndingSearch - Blog on School Library Journal

NeverEndingSearch

Blog

NeverEndingSearch

« End of the year at the library... | Main | Makeover your tag clouds (Word... »

Link This | Email this | Blog This | Comments (10)

Joyce Valenza

Pew asks: Where do you fit?
June 15, 2008

For those of us who love those quizzes that tell us where we fit, here's one that may be just a little more highbrow.

The Pew Internet & American Life Project now offers an Internet Typology Quiz. This quiz joins Pew's other quizzes: Test Your News IQ and the Beyond Red vs. Blue: Political Typology Test

Taking the Internet Typology Quiz, I discovered that--though I don't fit the mostly male, mostly young demographic, or the precise description--I am an omnivore:

Omnivores make up 8% of the American public.

Basic Description
Members of this group use their extensive suite of technology tools to do an enormous range of things online, on the go, and with their cell phones. Omnivores are highly engaged with video online and digital content. Between blogging, maintaining their Web pages, remixing digital content, or posting their creations to their websites, they are creative participants in cyberspace.

Defining Characteristics
You might see them watching video on an iPod. They might talk about their video games or their participation in virtual worlds the way their parents talked about their favorite TV episode a generation ago. Much of this chatter will take place via instant messages, texting on a cell phone, or on personal blogs. Omnivores are particularly active in dealing with video content. Most have video or digital cameras, and most have tried watching TV on a non-television device, such as a laptop or a cell phone.

Omnivores embrace all this connectivity, feeling confident in how they manage information and their many devices. This puts information technology at the center of how they express themselves, do their jobs, and connect to their friends.

I wonder how many other librarians are omnivores. Let me know where you fit in your comments!

Posted by Joyce Valenza on June 15, 2008 | Comments (10)

June 15, 2008
In response to: Pew asks: Where do you fit?
Jude commented:

ConnectorConnectors make up 7% of the American public. Basic Description The Connectors' collection of information technology is used for a mix of one-to-one and one-to-many communication. They very much like how ICTs keep them in touch with family and friends and they like how ICTs let them work in community groups to which they belong. They are participants in cyberspace - many blog or have their own web pages - but not at the rate of Omnivores. I figure this is because I have no interest in owning a cell phone.

June 15, 2008
In response to: Pew asks: Where do you fit?
Shonda Brisco commented:

With two laptops on my dining room table, an iPod updating on one and an iPhone charging, I knew I didn't need to take this quiz to figure out where I would fit, but I did!! I'm also an Omnivore! Now,... is there a group that meets to help us work through these issues? An OA group, perhaps? (Omnivores Anonymous). Gee, I hope so! I have a new Pulse Smartpen by LiveScribe that I'd like to use to take notes during the meeting!! *grin* ~Shonda

June 16, 2008
In response to: Pew asks: Where do you fit?
av2learner commented:

I'm Connector probably because I'm not much of a multimedia producer/sharer.

June 17, 2008
In response to: Pew asks: Where do you fit?
joyce valenza commented:

Ready to join OA myself. With a vacation looming in August, I worry if I can spend any significant time completely disconnected. Is it wrong, sick, problematic to crave a slightly connected vacation?

June 18, 2008
In response to: Pew asks: Where do you fit?
ken commented:

Omnivore all the way! Grr! Give some digital content! And some exclamation points!

June 19, 2008
In response to: Pew asks: Where do you fit?
mediagoddess commented:

I am also an Omnivore. I am going to cut the wireless in July for my vacation. It will be hard--but maybe I will have my new iphone by then.

June 19, 2008
In response to: Pew asks: Where do you fit?
joycevalenza commented:

The iphone IS the sneaky solution. I need one before the vacation.

June 24, 2008
In response to: Pew asks: Where do you fit?
CeCe commented:

Along with 10% of the American public, I am Connected But Hassled (no big surprise). I am a bit younger than the average age by about 10 years, but the rest of the profile fits well. I see myself as a traditionalist, one who loves and still strongly believes in (for myself) taking notes using good old fashioned paper, sending greeting cards in the mail and there is nothing like the smell of the newspaper and a good cup of coffee on a Sunday morning.

June 25, 2008
In response to: Pew asks: Where do you fit?
Jennifer commented:

I am a connector. In reading the description, it fits me to a T. I love technology and have it all - but I often need some help in getting it all up and running. I love using the internet to keep in touch with family and friends via email and our family website where we all blog to each other. I think I'm pretty happy being a connector...will I eventually become an omnivore? Most likely not. :)

June 26, 2008
In response to: Pew asks: Where do you fit?
GKing commented:

I'm a Connector...not a big surprise. I love using the technology that I know and am comfortable with and find it interesting to investigate new forms of technology. But sometimes I feel like I need additional help digging in...which is where I pull in my high school students to give me some pointers.