Cybercafés

Cybercafés are privately run establishments that offer Internet access, usually for a fee based on time spent on their computers. They typically offer food and drink as well. Cybercafés go by a variety of names, including Internet cafés, LAN cafés, sweepstakes cafés, manga cafés (Japan), PC bangs (South Korea), and computer shops (Philippines). Cybercafés have grown rapidly since their introduction in the 1990s, and today, there are hundreds of thousands of cybercafés around the world; they are especially popular in developing countries. They are not only important sources of Internet access, for those who can afford them, but also form sites of sociability, much like the coffee houses of the Enlightenment. Most frequently, they are concentrated in large cities, notably near business and tourist districts.

Cybercafés ...