“Twenty-five percent of Chinese city dwellers (especially small cities) are regular Internet users… Nearly 85% of them were below the age of 35. ” This is from the recent CINNIC survey. Xinhua’s English site China View had a article entitled “2003: Lifestyles of the young.” Here are some quotes from it.
“The ever-expanding group of Internet visitors has brought about tremendous net-related business opportunities and stimulated the emergence of countless suppliers of online commodities. The Internet has made digital life possible, where ‘Net addicts enjoy purchasing commodities, searching for information, catching up with relatives and friends through e-mail, releasing and spreading news, and lingering in chat rooms.
There is now a tribe that depends on the Internet for living. This tribe numbers several million, and nearly 70 percent of them hold a bachelor’s degree or above and earn a monthly income of more than 3,000 yuan. They are 32 years of age on average, and many of them are the earliest Internet elite of China. The Internet has become an integral part of their work and lives. Except for sleep, they spend almost all day online-doing office work, browsing the news, and e-mailing.
They can’t imagine the days before a computer, and might not be able to breathe without theirs. ”
