When talking and seeking Internet of Things, we are like kittens drawn to a fire – seeking warmth, dazzled by the flames

Then being burned to a screaming crisp – in a SNAP – when getting too curious and too close.

We want ALL IoT has to offer despite the incredible risks we take to our privacy, our finances – our lives. Fraud and hacking costs the global economy trillions yet we keep right on e-commercing and social media-izing to our blissful, seemingly ignorant heart’s desire.

And, even if you want to withdraw from the brave new world coming through the ubiquitous connectivity where you are connected to everything from fridge to car to smart watch to electronic medical records to digital payments – fat chance.

A new survey from Elon University’s Imagining the Internet Center and the Pew Internet Project finds that the IoT meets people’s craving for “connection and convenience” yet at the same time “unplugging is nearly impossible” for those who worry about security and privacy.

And in many ways we know what we are doing, risks be ignored.

Janna Anderson, director of Elon University’s Imagining the Internet Center and professor of communications, points out: “The experts we questioned in this canvassing clearly expect the IoT will continue to spread even as risks proliferate because the promise of the IoT is that lives will be healthier, safer and more convenient. At the same time, these experts argue that people are being lured or pushed into a world they don’t fully understand, full of hazards that even the IoT’s creators cannot fully mitigate.”

Adds David Clark, senior research scientist at MIT and Internet Hall of Fame member, told the survey takers: “Unless we have a disaster that triggers a major shift in usage, the convenience and benefits of connectivity will continue to attract users. Evidence suggests that people value convenience today over possible future negative outcomes.”

But there is hope that the IoT will be made safer.

The latest survey from North Carolina-based Elon and Pew is filled with a mix of foreboding yet contrasting and positive conclusions.

  • Yes, people agree they are at greater risk in the IoT world
  • But, people believe human ingenuity will make IoT safer
  • Yes, more people will connect to the IoT
  • But, people will continue to drop out

Make sense?

What follows are the seven major themes the survey authors say emerged – along with some key bullet points.

Encouraging? Discouraging? A lot of both.

I. People crave connection and convenience, and a tech-linked world serves both goals well

  • It’s only human to connect, and there are many advantages
  • As life increases in complexity, convenience is the default setting for most people
  • The always-online younger generation can’t imagine being anything but connected

II. Unplugging is nearly impossible now; by 2026 it will be even tougher

  • Businesses will penalize those who disconnect; social processes reward those who connect. Fully withdrawing is extremely difficult, maybe impossible
  • You can’t avoid using something you can’t discern. So much of the IoT operates out of sight that people will not be able to unplug completely

III. Risk is part of life. The Internet of Things will be accepted, despite dangers, because most people believe the worst-case scenario would never happen to them

IV. More people will be connected and more will withdraw or refuse to participate

V. Human ingenuity and risk-mitigation strategies will make the Internet of Things safer

  • Effective regulatory and technology-based remedies will emerge to reduce threats
  • Governments should be doing more to regulate negligent companies, punish bad actors

VI. Notable numbers will disconnect

  • Lack of trust, safety and privacy issues and more may move those with fears to withdraw
  • Corporate intransigence, shortsightedness and misguided thinking create vulnerabilities
  • Oversharing and less-than-stellar performance from complex tech systems will drive dropouts

VII. Whether or not people disconnect, the dangers are real. Security and privacy issues will be magnified by the rapid rise of the Internet of Things

  • Threats are likely to turn into attacks and other acts, possibly some violent
  • The rise of the IoT and security concerns amplifies endangerment of and worries over civil liberties

Read the full report at http://www.elon.edu/e-web/imagining/surveys/2016_survey/Internet_of_Things_Infrastructure.xhtml and draw your own conclusions.