Internet

English-speaking Asian Americans' heavy use of the Internet has made the technology more integrated into their daily lives. A 2001 report from the Pew Internet and Life Project on Asian Americans and Technology found that English-speaking Asian Americans use and access the Internet more often and in longer durations than other racial and ethnic group in the United States. The study cites finance, political information, and travel as the most commonly sought data by Asian Americans. The Internet allows Asian Americans to communicate with friends and families across the globe quickly and efficiently, which brings diasporic communities closer together.

With the persistence of Asian and Asian American stereotypes online, the Internet has become an avenue for Asian Americans to upload their lived experiences through Web sites like YouTube and other social media services. The Internet is a platform for Asian Americans to present their voices on a personal and intimate level, where the group is able to critically examine Orientalist stereotypes that continue to circulate in mainstream media like movies, TV, and advertising. Additionally, a 2012 Nielson consumer report on Asian Americans found that English-speaking Asian Americans are the top group in the nation to access high-speed broadband at home and through mobile devices like cell phones, laptops, and other wireless [Page 532]devices. As Asian Americans create new content, their ideas and products are able to directly connect with consumers through online marketing.

The Internet continues to change, and with it, so do the ways people use the technology. The constant flux of technology makes Internet research difficult, and Internet researchers do their best to keep their work current. Old Web sites shut down or are left to exist with outdated information as often as new Web sites come into existence. Access to the Internet is increasing throughout the world and is available through mobile phone devices. Endless possibilities abound in the development of the Internet and its technologies.