What Happens in an Internet Minute? 2022

Critical Analysis

1. Based on the visual above, how many texts are sent every minute of every day?

2. Based on the visual above, how much money do shoppers spend at Amazon every minute of every day?

3. What is the big story this infographic tells?

4. Based on the visual above, what were the biggest changes in internet usage between 2013 and 2022?

5. Why do you think that is?

6. How does this internet minute most impact American politics, and specifically, how will it impact the 2024 election?

7. Explain whether you think the government should regulate the internet more.

8. Explain which you think has more impact on your life: the U.S. government or the internet.

9. What does your average internet minute look like?

10. Only one generation ago, there was no internet as we know it today. How do you think the internet has most profoundly changed your generation and what do you think an internet minute will look like in 10 years?

Learning Extension

Check out the Teens Fact Sheet from the Pew Research Center about internet consumption by U.S. teenagers.

Action Extension

Did you know that offline, the average person will have 35 to 48 thoughts per minute? Take ten minutes to be by yourself. Stay off the internet for the entire 10 minutes. Hard to do? Notice how you feel. Pay attention to your thoughts and where they go. Notice every time you reach for your phone or computer. Be aware of the speed of time. Stop. Now go online for ten minutes. Notice how different these ten minutes were from ten spent offline. Share your results with friends or family or in class.

Visual Extension