Internet Use
Americans' use of the Internet has grown dramatically since the mid-1990s. In 1995 the Pew Research Center for The People & The Press found that just 14% of American adults were "online users," a number that had increased to 46% of adults by March 2000, or eighty-six million people. By mid-2004 the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that nearly 63% of American adults (128 million) had gone online.
Internet access in public schools has increased dramatically since the mid-1990s, giving school children more opportunity to go online. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in Internet Access in U.S. Public Schools and Classrooms: 1994-2002 (2003), by 2001 99% of American public schools had gained access to the Internet, up from just 35% in 1994. The report further noted that 92% of public schools offered Internet connections in instructional rooms in 2002, up from 3% in 1994.
Americans without Internet access in their homes or at school could also go online at local public libraries. According to researchers John Carlo Bertot and Charles R. McClure in Public Libraries and the Internet 2002: Internet Connectivity and Networked Services (December 2002), by 2002 95% of all public libraries provided public access to the Internet, and 100% of urban public libraries did.
The Pew Internet & American Life Project (Pew/Internet) found that in 2004 the Internet audience was not only growing but also increasingly resembled the population as a whole. Whereas white males were once by far the most common users of the Internet, women, African-Americans, and Hispanics were using it more and more. A Pew/Internet tracking survey conducted in May and June 2004 found that almost 66% of American males and 61% of American females went online, along with 59% of English-speaking Hispanics and 43% of African-Americans. (See Table 1.2.)
The Pew Internet & American Life survey further revealed that by mid-2004, 32% of persons with less than a high school education and 52% of high school graduates were online, compared to 88% of college graduates. The costs of buying a computer and paying Internet access fees were barriers to some Americans, however. Just 44% of persons with household incomes below $30,000 used the Internet versus 69% of those with incomes from $30,000 to $50,000, 81% with incomes ranging from $50,000 to $75,000, and 89% of those in the highest income bracket. Location also affected connectivity, and rural Americans lagged behind, with only 56% going online compared to 62% of urban dwellers and 68% of those in the suburbs. (See Table 1.2.)
TABLE 1.2
| Demographics of Internet users, 2004 | |
| Go online | |
| SOURCE: "Demographics of Internet Users," in Pew Internet & American Life Project May–June 2004 Tracking Survey, Pew Internet & American Life Project, http://www.pewinternet.org/trends/DemographicsofInternetUsers.htm (accessed July 7, 2004) | |
| Women | 61% |
| Men | 66 |
| Age | |
| 18–29 | 78% |
| 30–49 | 74 |
| 50–64 | 60 |
| 65+ | 25 |
| Race/ethnicity | |
| White, non-Hispanic | 67% |
| Black, non-Hispanic | 43 |
| Hispanic | 59 |
| Community type | |
| Urban | 62% |
| Suburban | 68 |
| Rural | 56 |
| Household income | |
| Less than $30,000/yr | 44% |
| $30,000–$50,000 | 69 |
| $50,000–$75,000 | 81 |
| More than $75,000 | 89 |
| Educational attainment | |
| Less than high school | 32% |
| High school | 52 |
| Some college | 75 |
| College + | 88 |
Pew/Internet found significant differences among age groups in Internet use in 2004. While 78% of those eighteen to twenty-nine were online, and 74% of Americans aged thirty to forty-nine were using the Internet, the number dropped to 60% of those fifty to sixty-four and just 25% of those aged sixty-five and over. (See Table 1.2.)
In Counting on the Internet, a 2002 Pew/Internet report, researchers concluded that the popularity and reliability of the Internet as a source of information had raised Americans' expectations about the scope and availability of information online. Three-quarters of Internet users reported positive experiences in finding information about health care, government agencies, news, and shopping. Many users cited the Internet as the first place they turned to for news and information.
According to Pew/Internet surveys conducted from 2001 to 2004, nearly all persons with Internet access were sending e-mail (93%), while 84% used online search engines to find information, 84% looked for maps or driving directions, and more than three-quarters of users researched products before they bought them or went online in pursuit of information about their hobbies. Other common uses included looking for weather forecasts (75%), seeking travel information (73%), getting news (72%), looking for health or medical information (66%), or simply surfing the Web for fun (67%). Many also found the Web useful for shopping and other transactions, with 65% of Internet users buying a product online, 55% making travel reservations, 34% doing online banking, and 23% participating in an online auction. (See Table 1.3.)
In June 2004 Pew/Internet researchers estimated that 53% of American adults with Internet access, or sixty-eight million, went online on an average day. Typical daily Internet activities included sending e-mail (45%), using a search engine to find information (30%), getting news (27%), looking for information on a hobby or interest (21%), checking the weather (20%), and performing job-related research (19%). Only 2% said they downloaded music files, or went to a Web site to meet other people, while just 1% of those surveyed said their typical daily Internet activities included gambling or visiting adult Web sites. Nearly one-quarter went online for recreation—that is, to surf the Web with no specific purpose in mind. (See Table 1.4.)
ACCESSING MUSIC ONLINE. Internet users can go online to hear music from "streaming" Internet radio stations and other Web sites, or download music files—either legally (by paying a fee to a service such as iTunes) or illegally (via a peer-to-peer network or from a newsgroup or Web site). Concerned about the impact on music recording sales, which dropped from $14.6 billion to $11.9 billion per year between 1999 and 2003 (see Table 4.9 in Chapter 4), the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) began filing lawsuits against a number of file-sharing services such as Napster, and, beginning in the fall of 2003, against individual users.
A survey conducted in November and December 2003 by Pew/Internet found that music downloads declined dramatically after the RIAA began suing specific individuals. While a survey conducted in March through May 2003 found that 29% of Internet users (thirty-five million) regularly downloaded music files, by year's end this had declined to just 14% (eighteen million). In February and March 2004, however, Pew/Internet found that the percentage of downloaders had rebounded to 18% (twenty-three million). (See Table 1.5.) Many were now using such paid services as Apple's iTunes, Musicmatch.com, or the relaunched, fee-charging Napster.
As Internet connection speeds and computer data storage capacity continued to increase, data-intensive video downloads were becoming popular as well, with 15% of Internet users reporting to Pew/Internet researchers in February and March of 2004 that they had downloaded videos from the Web. (See Table 1.5.) While some downloads, like movie trailers and commercials, were from legitimate Web sites, others were not. The Motion Picture Association of America issued a number of warnings in 2004 that copyright infringement lawsuits
TABLE 1.3
| Internet activities, 2001–04 | ||
| Percent of those with Internet access | Most recentsurvey date | |
| SOURCE: "Internet Activities," in Pew Internet & American Life Project Tracking Surveys (March 2000–Present), Pew Internet & American Life Project, http://www.pewinternet.org/trends/Internet_Activities_4.23.04.htm (accessed July 7, 2004) | ||
| Send e-mail | 93 | May-June 2004 |
| Use a search engine to find information | 84 | May-June 2004 |
| Search for a map or driving directions | 84 | Feb-04 |
| Do an Internet search to answer a specific question | 80 | Nov-Dec 2003 |
| Research a product or service before buying it | 78 | Feb-04 |
| Look for info on a hobby or interest | 76 | March-May 2003 |
| Check the weather | 75 | Jun-03 |
| Get travel info | 73 | May-June 2004 |
| Get news | 72 | May-June 2004 |
| Surf the Web for fun | 67 | March-May 2003 |
| Look for health/medical info | 66 | Dec-02 |
| Look for info from a government website | 66 | Aug-03 |
| Buy a product | 65 | Feb-04 |
| Research for school or training | 60 | May-June 2004 |
| Buy or make a reservation for travel | 55 | May-June 2004 |
| Go to a website that provides info or support for a specific medical condition or personal situation | 54 | Dec-02 |
| Look up phone number or address | 54 | Feb-04 |
| Watch a video clip or listen to an audio clip | 52 | March-May 2003 |
| Do any type of research for your job | 51 | Feb-04 |
| Look for political news/info | 49 | May-June 2004 |
| Get financial info | 44 | March-May 2003 |
| Check sports scores or info | 43 | Feb-04 |
| Look for info about a job | 42 | May-June 2004 |
| Download other files such as games, videos, or pictures | 42 | Jun-03 |
| Send an instant message | 42 | May-June 2004 |
| Play a game | 39 | March-May 2003 |
| Listen to music online at a website | 34 | May-June 2004 |
| Look for info about a place to live | 34 | May-June 2004 |
| Bank online | 34 | Jun-03 |
| Look for religious/spiritual info | 29 | March-May 2003 |
| Search for info about someone you know or might meet | 28 | Sep-02 |
| Chat in a chat room or in an online discussion | 25 | June-July 2002 |
| Research your family's history or genealogy | 24 | March-May 2003 |
| Look for weight loss or general fitness info | 24 | Jan-02 |
| Participate in an online auction | 23 | Feb-04 |
| Look for info about a mental health issue | 23 | June-July 2002 |
| Share files from own computer w/ others | 23 | Feb-04 |
| Use Internet to get photos developed/display photos | 21 | August-October 2001 |
| Download music files to your computer | 20 | May-June 2004 |
| Create content for the Internet | 19 | Oct-02 |
| Look for info on something sensitive or embarrassing | 18 | June-July 2002 |
| Read someone else's web log or "blog" | 17 | Feb-04 |
| Log onto the Internet using a wireless device | 17 | Feb-04 |
| Take part in an online group | 16 | Oct-02 |
| Download video files to your computer | 15 | Feb-04 |
| Visit an adult website | 15 | May-June 2004 |
| Buy or sell stocks, bonds, or mutual funds | 12 | Feb-04 |
| Buy groceries online | 12 | March-May 2003 |
| Take a class online for college credit | 10 | Jun-03 |
| Go to a dating website or other sites where you can meet other people online | 9 | May-June 2004 |
| Take any other class online | 8 | Jun-03 |
| Look for info about domestic violence | 8 | Dec-02 |
| Make a phone call online | 7 | Jun-03 |
| Make a donation to a charity online | 7 | Dec-02 |
| Create a web log or "blog" | 5 | Feb-04 |
| Check e-mail on a hand-held computer | 5 | August-October 2001 |
| Play lottery or gamble online | 4 | March-May 2003 |
would be brought against those sharing movies via peer-to-peer networks.
Teens and College Students on the Internet
The Pew Internet & American Life Project estimated in 2003 that 78% of Americans aged twelve to seventeen were online. Of these, 92% used e-mail, 84% surfed the Web for fun, 74% used instant messaging, and 71% had used the Internet as the major source for their most recent major school project.
According to the 2002 Pew/Internet report The Internet Goes to College, college students were among the heaviest users of the Internet. This finding was not surprising since about one-fifth of the surveyed college students had begun using computers as young children. All
TABLE 1.4
| Daily Internet activities, 2001–04 | ||
| Percent of those with Internet access | Most recent survey date | |
| *Percentage of Internet users who do these activities on a typical day is less than 1% | ||
| SOURCE: "Daily Internet Activities," in Pew Internet & American Life Project Tracking Surveys (March 2000–Present), Pew Internet & American Life Project, http://www.pewinternet.org/trends/Daily_Activities_4.23.04.htm (accessed July 7, 2004) | ||
| Go online | 53 | May-June 2004 |
| Send e-mail | 45 | May-June 2004 |
| Use a search engine to find information | 30 | May-June 2004 |
| Get news | 27 | May-June 2004 |
| Surf the Web for fun | 23 | March-May 2003 |
| Look for info on a hobby or interest | 21 | March-May 2003 |
| Do an Internet search to answer a specific question | 21 | Nov-Dec 2003 |
| Check the weather | 20 | Jun-03 |
| Do an Internet search to answer a specific question | 19 | Sep-02 |
| Do any type of research for your job | 19 | February 2004 |
| Research a product or service before buying it | 15 | Feb-04 |
| Look for political news/info | 13 | May-June 2004 |
| Send an instant message | 12 | May-June 2004 |
| Get financial info | 12 | March-May 2003 |
| Check sports scores and info | 11 | Feb-04 |
| Watch a video clip or listen to an audio clip | 11 | March-May 2003 |
| Research for school or training | 11 | May-June 2004 |
| Look for info from a government website | 9 | Jun-03 |
| Play a game | 9 | March-May 2003 |
| Bank online | 9 | Jun-03 |
| Get travel info | 8 | May-June 2004 |
| Look up phone number or address | 7 | Feb-04 |
| Search for a map or driving directions | 7 | Feb-04 |
| Log onto the Internet using a wireless device | 6 | Feb-04 |
| Look for health/medical info | 6 | Dec-02 |
| Take part in an online group | 6 | Oct-02 |
| Listen to music online at a website | 6 | May-June 2004 |
| Download other files such as games, videos, or pictures | 6 | Jun-03 |
| Create content for the Internet | 4 | Oct-02 |
| Look for religious/spiritual info | 4 | March-May 2003 |
| Chat in a chat room or in an online discussion | 4 | June-July 2002 |
| Look for info about a job | 4 | May-June 2004 |
| Go to a website that provides info or support for a specific medical condition or personal situation | 4 | Dec-02 |
| Look for info about a place to live | 3 | May-June 2004 |
| Buy or make a reservation for travel | 3 | May-June 2004 |
| Participate in an online auction | 3 | Feb-04 |
| Read someone else's web log or "blog" | 3 | Feb-04 |
| Buy a product | 3 | Feb-04 |
| Search for info about someone you know or might meet | 3 | Sep-02 |
| Look for weight loss or general fitness info | 3 | Jan-02 |
| Share files from own computer w/ others | 2 | February 2004 |
| Download video files to your computer | 2 | Feb-04 |
| Download music files to your computer | 2 | May-June 2004 |
| Go to a dating website or other sites where you can meet other people online | 2 | May-June 2004 |
| Visit an adult website | 1 | May-June 2004 |
| Buy groceries online | 1 | March-May 2003 |
| Create a web log or "blog" | 1 | Feb-04 |
| Buy or sell stocks, bonds, or mutual funds | 1 | Feb-04 |
| Look for info about a mental health issue | 1 | June-July 2002 |
| Play lottery or gamble online | 1 | March-May 2003 |
| Use Internet to get photos developed/display photos | 1 | August-October 2001 |
| Check e-mail on a hand-held computer | 1 | August-October 2001 |
| Research your family's history or genealogy | 1 | March-May 2003 |
| Take a class online for college credit | * | Jun-03 |
| Take any other class online | * | Jun-03 |
| Make a phone call online | * | Jun-03 |
| Make a donation to a charity online | * | Dec-02 |
| Look for info about domestic violence | * | Dec-02 |
| Look for info on something sensitive or embarrassing | * | June-July 2002 |
college students who responded to the survey had used computers by age 16, and most were Internet users.
A study published in 2004 in the Journal of College and University Student Housing found that of 253 freshmen and sophomores living in residence halls at Ball State University, 94% had access to a computer in their living quarters, and 75% reported using computer technology more than five hours per week. Seventy percent of the students reported using a computer daily or several times per week to complete assignments or papers, and 59% reported
TABLE 1.5
| Internet music and video downloads, 2004 | ||||
| (In percent) | ||||
| I'M GOING TO READ YOU [A] SHORT LIST OF ACTIVITIES. PLEASE TELL ME IF YOUEVER DO ANY OF THE FOLLOWING WHEN YOU GO ONLINE. DO YOU EVER…/DID YOU HAPPEN TO DO THIS YESTERDAY, OR NOT? | ||||
| Total have ever done this | Did yesterday | Have not done this | Don't know/refused | |
| SOURCE: Peter Rainie, Mary Madden, Dan Hess, and Graham Mudd, "February 2004 Pew Internet Tracking Survey Excerpt," in Pew Internet Project and Comscore Media Metrix Data Memo, Pew Internet & American Life Project, April 2004, http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Filesharing_April_04.pdf (accessed July 22, 2004) | ||||
| Download music files onto your computer so you can play them at any time you want | ||||
| Feb/March 2004 | 18 | 1 | 82 | * |
| Nov 2003 | 14 | 1 | 85 | * |
| June 2003 | 30 | 3 | 70 | * |
| April/May 2003 | 30 | 4 | 70 | * |
| March 12–192003 | 28 | 5 | 72 | * |
| Oct 2002 | 32 | 5 | 68 | * |
| Sept 12–192001 | 26 | 3 | 73 | * |
| Aug 2001 | 26 | 3 | 73 | * |
| Feb 2001 | 29 | 6 | 71 | * |
| Fall 2000 | 24 | 4 | 76 | * |
| July/August 2000 | 22 | 3 | 78 | * |
| Share files from own computer, such as music, video or picture files, or computer games with others online | ||||
| Feb/March 2004 | 23 | 2 | 77 | * |
| Nov 2003 | 20 | 4 | 79 | * |
| June 2003 | 28 | 5 | 72 | * |
| Sept 12–19,2001 | 28 | 4 | 72 | 1 |
| August 2001 | 25 | 4 | 75 | * |
| Download video files onto your computer so you can play them at any time you want | ||||
| Feb/March 2004 | 15 | 2 | 85 | * |
| Nov 2003 | 13 | 2 | 86 | * |
using one to surf the Internet. E-mail or instant messaging was used daily by 78%, with another 17% using such communications programs several times per week.
Computer Use among Older Adults
According to Pew/Internet, persons over age sixty-five were dispelling myths about their reluctance to embrace new technology, as they surfed the Web in record numbers. In 2000 an estimated 12% of older Americans were online, but this number had grown to 20% by 2002 and to 25% in the spring of 2004.
Computers have been readily integrated into the lives of older adults in many settings, ranging from nursing homes to senior recreation centers. For older adults who are homebound as a result of illness or disability, Internet access can offer opportunities to socialize, contact friends and family, and purchase food, medications, and other necessities without leaving their homes.
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