The Great Online Migration
Alexandra Samuel
Posted on January 19th, 2012
We are currently witnessing two of the largest migrations in human history. In China, 120 million people have moved from the countryside to urban areas, drawn by economic opportunity. Where these Chinese used to spend their time outside engaged in agricultural work, or socializing with extended family in a small village, they now spend their days indoors in factories, typically living dormitory-style with thousands of other workers. Each year, that’s almost a trillion hours of human experience that have shifted from the pace of rural life to the rush of urban industrialization. Photo Randy Olson On the other side of the world, 184 million Americans are leading the next big migration. They’re spending an average of 13 hours a week online – or a…