ABSTRACT
The internet is evolving. Started as a military communication network development project, the internet has evolved to become a global information and communication tool that we can’t live without. In recent decades, we have increasingly become used to the idea of living our life on the internet, so to speak, and having all of our information stored in “the cloud” with cloud computing. With our insatiable appetite for data consumption, cloud computing services aim to meet that explosion of data consumption at whatever cost. This chapter examines cloud computing services and internet companies’ efforts towards building a green internet. It then discusses internet-based technology and the role it plays in facilitating socially supportive communication for individuals with a health concern and social listening/monitoring for online marketers to develop better products and services to deliver better brand experiences. This chapter concludes with an examination of the shift to increasingly mobile access and its implication for online shopping, information seeking, social communication, and emerging regulation.
