Ishaad Khan, wakes up to his smartphone’s (which, incidentally, he changes every six months) alarm every morning. A couple of snooze alarms and a reluctant breakfast later, he checks his mailbox. As he stays in Bangalore, away from his hometown Mumbai, all his F&F (friends and family) know that the best way to reach him is on the mail or via Facebook. Ishaad’s regular routine comprises of at least 10 hours on the Internet and not just for work. Right from ordering food to catching up with his friends, he depends on the Internet for most of his needs and not surprisingly, his habits extend to at least 33 per cent of the globe’s youth according to the 2011 Cisco World Technology report.

In India, 95 per cent of college students and young employees surveyed admitted that the Internet is as important in their lives as water, food, air and shelter. Among college students, 55 per cent say they could not live without the Internet compared to 62 per cent of those recent graduates with jobs. Another 30 per cent plus in both categories say they could survive, but it would be a struggle.

“Without a doubt, our world is changing and becoming much more focused on the Internet. And that becomes even more so with each new generation,” says Marie Hattar, Vice President, Borderless Networks, Cisco adding that this study should also make businesses re-examine how they need to evolve.

More students (40%) rank the Internet as most important when stacked against partying (25%), dating (13%) and music (10%). They'd rather have Internet access than a car, 64 per cent  to 36 per cent.

However, what needs to be considered is the fact that youngsters today cannot live without the Internet. This should provoke thoughts around how companies will remain competitive amid the influences of technology lifestyle trends, says the report.

Mahesh Gupta, Vice President, Cisco India and SAARC, says, “Internet is no longer a ‘good to have’, it is a ‘must have’.”

In what certain social activists or even parents might think as a ‘dangerous turn’, the report emphasises that in many cases study’s respondents think that the Internet is more integral that cars, dating and partying. “Dating? May be not. But it is definitely more important than cars and partying,” says Ershad Kaleebullha, a 23-year-old trainee journalist with a tech portal. “I eat, sleep and drink the Internet but I balance my social networking online and offline,” he adds when told that the study says that 27 per cent of the respondents, especially Indians, think that updating their Facebook status is more important that hanging out with friends.

For 36-year-old Rajeev Ramchandran, the Internet is a lot more than social networking. “For me, the Internet is a like a pocket library. I have experts telling me where should I dine, shop or even invest. For many others, the Internet is no different from having a mobile post-office. All they use it for is exchange mails, chats, make friends ie social networking.”

Ramchandran believes that the Internet is important but it doubts if it is as necessary as basic needs. “I am sure the people Cisco spoke to are fairly affluent, and have little experience of going without food or water. That's just silly.” Young sceptical professional Shweta Shinde says, “A company which builds networking equipment would be happy with reports that the Internet is so essential.”

Along with the Internet, mobile devices including laptops, smartphones etc are indispensable to the youth. India is ranked second globally when it comes to mobile device usage with 71 per cent of the country's youth relying on it. It goes without saying that as far as the relationship between human behaviour, the Internet and networking's pervasiveness is concerned, India’s youth is rapidly consuming all available technology and advances in the field of virtual connections.