Internet Activities

 

According to our February-March 2007 survey, 71% of American adults use the internet.

 

Here are some of the things they do online:

 

Percent of internet users who report this activity

Most recent

survey date

 

Send or read e-mail

 

 

91

 

February-March 2007

 

Use a search engine to find information

 

 

91

 

December 2006

 

Search for a map or driving directions

 

 

86

 

December 2006

 

Look for info on a hobby or interest

 

 

83

 

February-March 2007

 

Look for health/medical info¹

 

 

80

 

August 2006

 

Research a product or service before buying it

 

 

78

 

February-March 2005

 

Check the weather

 

 

78

 

November 2004

 

Get travel info

 

 

73

 

May-June 2004

 

Get news

 

 

72

 

February-March 2007

 

Buy a product

 

 

71

 

August 2006

 

Visit a local, state or federal government website*

 

 

66

 

August 2006

 

Buy or make a reservation for travel 

 

 

63

 

August 2006

 

Surf the Web for fun

 

 

62

 

February-April 2006

 

Go to a website that provides info or support for a specific medical condition or personal situation

 

 

58

 

November 2004

 

Research for school or training

 

 

57

 

January 2005

 

Watch a video clip or listen to an audio clip

 

 

56

 

November 2004

 

Look for "how-to," "do-it-yourself" or repair information

 

 

55

 

February-March 2005

 

Look online for news or information about politics or the upcoming campaigns*

 

 

54

 

August 2006

 

Look up phone number or address

 

 

54

 

February 2004

 

Take a virtual tour of a location online

 

 

51

 

August 2006

 

Do any type of research for your job

 

 

51

 

February-March 2007

 

Look online for info about a job*

 

 

46

 

August 2006

 

Get sports scores and info online*

 

 

45

 

August 2006

 

Get info online about a college, university or other school you or a family member might attend

 

 

45

 

January 2005

 

Do any banking online

 

 

43

 

December 2005

 

Download other files such as games, videos, or pictures

 

 

42

 

February-March 2005

 

Get financial info online, such as stock quotes or mortgage interest rates 

 

 

41

 

August 2006

 

Send instant messages

 

 

39

 

August 2006

 

Look for info about a place to live*

 

 

39

 

August 2006

 

Read someone else’s online journal, web log or blog²

 

 

39

 

January 2006

 

Download computer programs from the internet

 

 

39

 

May-June 2005

 

Pay bills online

 

 

38

 

January 2005

 

Upload photos to a website so you can share them with others online

 

 

37