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on Information and Communication Technologies |
| By: | Mario Vozar |
| Abstract: | The rapid growth of internet usage over the last two decades has been influencing many aspects of our life and most noticeably the ways in which people communicate with each other. Therefore, it is appropriate to ask whether the growth of internet usage influences individuals’ marital decisions in modern society. In my study, I concentrate on the effect of the growing internet usage on the gender and age-specific marriage hazard rate for the first time marriages in Europe. The panel data analysis reveals a negative impact of internet usage on male’s as well as female’s marriage hazard rate for those in their twenties. |
| Keywords: | marriage market; divorce; internet; |
| JEL: | J12 L8 |
| Date: | 2011–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cer:papers:wp444&r=ict |
| By: | Lesley Chiou (Occidental College); Catherine Tucker (Sloan, MIT) |
| Abstract: | The digital revolution has dramatically reduced search costs for information. Consumers can now access information that is aggregated from many sources. We ask whether aggregators encourage users to ``skim" or investigate content in depth. We exploit a contract dispute that led a major aggregator to remove content from a content provider. We find that after the removal, users were less likely to investigate additional content in depth. Further analysis suggests that the presence of information benefited either very national or local content the most. Our study is the first to measure how new communications technology affects information gathered by consumers. |
| Keywords: | News, Online, Search |
| JEL: | L86 |
| Date: | 2011–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:net:wpaper:1118&r=ict |
| By: | James Rutt (Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge) |
| Abstract: | The Internet has drastically altered the nature of competition in the news industry. This article develops a model of price and quality competition between firms in the online news industry. In equilibrium, firms randomise in their pricing strategies and this generates the cross- sectional mixture of advertiser and subscription funded models we observe. The model also plausibly explains why pricing strategies differ across content areas. Finally, an important part of my explanation is that aggregators, such as Google and Digg.com, allow consumers to search amongst articles and direct consumers towards high quality articles. The model's results have implications for the ongoing public debate about the effects of aggregators on the news industry; although aggregators may harm firms, consumers may benefit. |
| Keywords: | Internet, Newspapers, Aggregators, Paywalls |
| JEL: | L11 L13 L82 |
| Date: | 2011–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:net:wpaper:1119&r=ict |