Uses and Gratifications: Why do we use the Internet?

Why do we use the Internet? This may sound like a silly question, at least to the people who use the Internet on a regular basis. For so many of us, the Internet has become a major part of our lives, ingraining itself into nearly everything we do. Gone are the days in which Internet use was merely a way to find information, or having a website was unique. Now the Internet is used for so many different purposes that to go without it feels like living in the Stone Age!
The Theory of Uses and Gratifications states that individuals who access different forms of media do so for many different reasons. It sounds very simple, but it can be difficult to determine why it is that people use media in different ways.
One major reason for the variety of Internet uses includes factors such as gender, race, and cultural background. One study investigated the many different reasons why teenagers chose to go online, and gave them several different options to choose from. Some of the options are as follows:

"Look for information to do school homework"
"When I am bored"
"Chat with friends"
"Watch films or series, online TV" 241"Download free music files"
"Look for information about how to take or where to get joints, speed,
pills, cocaine and other drugs"
"Play network games"

The results confirmed the Uses and Gratifications Theory, because not everyone in the study used the Internet in the same way. However, the way it was used correlated significantly with gender. Males tended to use the Internet to search for new relationships, become involved in economic activities, and play games. Females generally focused most on searching for information and communicating with existing friends (1).
This reveals some of the ways the Internet has impacted communication. The Internet has become an extension of the real world, by reinforcing behaviors that are generally associated with different genders. Just as we see an offline world in which men are more focused on economic and business pursuits than women, we also see this tendency reflected on the Internet.
It is interesting, however, to note that the anonymity of the Internet appears to give people more courage to act in ways that are not traditionally expected of them, based on gender or culture. The fact that a user account on a website does not have to include a user's real name allows that user to "get away" with more than he or she might attempt to get away with in the real world.
Another impact of the Internet is the affect it has had on teenagers generally. As discussed in this study, the Internet seems to have a way of meeting uniquely adolescent needs (such as the need for social acceptance and discovery of identity) that cannot as easily be met in the real world. Teenagers can use social media profiles to discover their identity, and can then validate that identity by finding an ever increasing number of online "friends."
Finally, the Internet gives quick and easy access to information and activities that are otherwise not so easy to access in the offline world. Text, images, videos, databases, news media, information on people, and maps that are all available at the simple click of a button have made life so convenient for so many.
The Internet has perhaps had its single greatest effect on society through the uses and gratifications that it affords its users. As society continues to progress in technological and cultural evolution, I'm sure we will continue to see ever more convenient ways of meeting our own needs become available.

1) Jimenez, Antonio Garcia; Lopez de Ayala Lopez, Maria Cruz; Pisionera, Carmen Gaona. "A vision of uses and gratifications applied to the study of Internet use by adolescents." Communication and Society 25.2 (2012): 231-54. Print.