Who Needs The Internet Anyway???

DSL or Dial-up? .com, .org or .net? Double-click or Right-click? Why should we care? That answer is simple. The Internet makes our lives easier. The readily available information on any and every subject imaginable, coupled with the community and communication capabilities of the Internet is what makes it such an incredibly powerful tool and resource in the day-to-day lives of billions.

Although the online African-American community is still one of the fastest growing online demographics, it is still obvious to many that most blacks are still not online. In my opinion, the true reason for this has not received enough attention. Money is not the issue. The black community is well-known for spending on luxury items at a higher rate than other ethnicities. As a result, the cost associated with purchasing a computer and getting online is not the concern. The point of concern is recognizing the importance of the Internet. Once the importance of Internet access is effectively communicated throughout the African-American community, growth of blacks online may double or even triple from the high rate it is at currently.

Taking a very micro view of the many uses of the Internet and how it might be relevant in the daily lives of African-Americans, let’s explore one topic that resonates with blacks: music. As an avid fan of hip hop and rap music, I know that I can:

- Visit a site such as Amazon.com to purchase any album I desire

- Use an application like Kazaa.com to download hard to find songs or get albums before they’re released

- Type in OHHLA.com (The Original Hip Hop Lyrics Archive) and find out the lyrics to that chorus I fumble through when I’m singing in my car

I’ve made sites such as BET.com and Allhiphop.com frequent destinations as I try to stay on top of interesting tidbits of information pertaining to the rap industry or my favorite artists. I can utilize resources like Google.com or Yahoo.com to research the history of hip hop and the impact different artists have had throughout the times while simultaneously discussing all that I’ve gathered via the previously mentioned sources at SOHH.com (The Hip Hop Source).

From education to sports, career advancement to dating; this type of roadmap can be generated on any topic that touches African-Americans. With this understanding it becomes obvious who needs the Internet: The Black Community!!!