We Live in Interesting Statistical Times
The first half of 2012 is turning into an interesting statistical time.
Following are a few examples that I have picked up, but there could be others. If you know of any other ‘never happened before culture changing statistics’ from the first half of 2012 then please post a comment about it. I will edit this post and add it in (after verifying it, so please also post a reference link I can check).
More Network Video than DVDs+Blu Ray
In the first half of 2012 people in the USA watched more video over a network connection than from DVDs plus Blu-ray. I posted on this here if you would like to read a bit more about it.
As a significant amount of the network connection video is ‘pirated’ video I am not sure what this means moving forward. If the people who produce video, especially those that produce video purely for consumption at home on your TV, can’t make a decent profit from what they make then they will stop making it.
The second series of Game of Thrones (which is currently up to episode 6) has become the most pirated TV series ever and the producers of Game of Thrones have even said that plans to make season three are now having to be reviewed. This is because they are not going to make back anywhere near the money they expected from the second season because tens of thousands of people are watching it without paying anything for it.
Web Access via Smartphones and Tablets Exceeded Computer Browsing
In the first half of 2012 the number of hours spent accessing the InterWeb from smartphones and tablets exceeded those spent accessing it from a computer (desktop or notebook).
There is no way this applies to me. I spend many times more hours accessing the InterWeb using a computer than I do using my Acer Iconia Tablet or my Motorola Defy smartphone. In fact I almost never use my smartphone to connect to the InterWeb. “Data mode” is rarely ever turned on for my smartphone.
But with smartphones and tablets now being used more for accessing the InterWeb this is one reason that some people are declaring 2012 as the year of the death of the personal computer. However I suspect personal computers will be around for a few more years yet. Especially in business. I don’t see businesses using smartphones or tablets for serious business use—but I could be wrong (I often am).
Non-white Births Outnumber White Births in the USA
According to this article here in the UK Telegraph the number of ‘non-white’ children born in the USA outnumbered the number of ‘white’ children born in the first half of 2012 and this ratio is expected to increase.
There are two factors contributing to this. The first and most obvious is the increasing number of Asians and Hispanics moving into America.
The second and slightly less obvious reason is that white Americans have less babies. In fact the fertility rate (as it is called) of white females is around 1.7 babies in her lifetime, which is below replacement (considering it takes couple to make a baby). Meaning that the number of white Americans is going backwards.
