There is no denying that the internet has become a vital part of our lives. Sometimes, it feels like we live in a digital dystopia and that our lives revolve around social apps and things on the internet. On most days, we can’t even remember what pre-internet life used to be like. But how much do you really know about this creation that we are all so dependent on? We bring you 7 facts you probably didn’t know!
1. Al Gore Didn’t Invent The Internet
Despite the jokes that go around, Al Gore didn’t really “invent” the internet. However, he supported the legislation to open up the internet to the general public. The invention of the internet can’t really be credited to one person and a lot of the details are still debated.
2. The Golden Age Of Social Media
Doesn’t it feel like social media has existed forever? Turns out, social media actually started becoming relevant only in 2001. However, the rate at which it grew far exceeded what people initially expected or thought.
3. A Game Of Percentages
Back in 1995, it was estimated that only 1% of the global population was connected to the internet. However, in 2016, those numbers jumped to 81% of the population in developed countries and 40% in developing countries were connected to the internet.
4. Emails
It is estimated that on an average, 100 billion emails go out per day. In case you’re wondering, that’s roughly 10 times the amount of the total population on the planet currently.
5. Humans vs. Bots
This may come as a shocker, but only 49% of internet users are human. The rest are just bots. which are actually illegal software that often times present themselves as humans. This is why more and more websites have started putting human verification codes.
6. Senior Citizens On The Internet
We tend to assume that senior citizens are bad at using the internet. Turns out, that is completely inaccurate. It is estimated that close to 58% of the senior citizen population is actually on the internet.
7. The First Website
The first website was actually created way back in 1991. This could technically be considered the beginning of what we now call…*drum roll* the internet.
8. Web Pages In Existence
It is estimated that there are roughly 4.5 billion web pages in existence and use today. It is too hard to keep track of the number of new domain registrations and cancellations, which is why this number can only be estimated.
9. Wikipedia
Did you know that Wikipedia was actually created in 2001? What first started off as a personal online encyclopedia all the way in 1993, was only registered in 2001. It was started with the idea of having one place where all the world’s knowledge was gathered. It’s also the first platform to have adopted crowdsourcing as their format.
10. It’s Actually Not That Old
The internet is actually just 49 years old. Additionally, we also celebrate World Internet Day on October 27!
What was something you found most intriguing? Let us know in the comments below.
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