1) What has been the impact of e-commerce on your shopping habits?
Since I've started shopping online, I rarely go into an actual bricks-and-boards store anymore. I've discovered that even with shipping and handling, this saves me money, because I am not "just looking" through merchandise and finding things I don't need and didn't intend to get. In addition, it saves me an enormous amount of time that I can use to make more money. It saves wear and tear on my car, as well. I believe I find more interesting and suitable items online, since in the stores, I am limited to a much smaller selection. I used to spend a lot of time shopping in stores, and now I spend only a tiny fraction of that time there. On the other hand, I spend more time browsing for products online, but I also find better deals online and am more likely to find exactly what I want instead of whatever the local stores have in stock. Overall, online shopping has saved me time and money and has changed my old habit of "window shopping," which wasted both.
2) You have probably viewed and perhaps uploaded content to YouTube.com. What is the impact of this type of web site on traditional news outlets?
I have viewed content on YouTube.com, but I do not look there for news; I watch the news on network stations, CNN, and FOX. However, it is true that many people do watch news on YouTube. One blog asserts that YouTube appears to be displacing regular TV, citing a report that "32% of frequent YouTube users say they watch less TV due to their youtubing activity" (Baumer). There is a certain cross-section of the population that is extremely attracted to YouTube and who watch it regularly, and these are most likely the individuals who watch less regular TV. The fact that YouTube offers a look at real people and not just television personalities may be part of the appeal.
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