Commentary
Everyday Internet Activities
- by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, August 3, 2003
On an average day, about 72 million American adults go online. Here are some of the kinds of things they do on a typical day:
| Percent of those with Internet Access | Most Recent Survey Date | |
| Go online | 59% | March-May 2003 |
| Send e-mail | 52 | March-May 2003 |
| Get news | 32 | March-May 2003 |
| Use a search engine to find information | 29 | January 2002 |
| Surf the Web for fun | 23 | March-May 2003 |
| Look for info on a hobby | 21 | March-May 2003 |
| Do an Internet search to answer a specific question | 19 | September 2002 |
| Do any type of research for your job | 19 | November 2002 |
| Research a product or service before buying it | 19 | December 2002 |
| Check the weather | 17 | March-May 2002 |
| Send an instant message | 14 | March-May 2003 |
| Look for info about movies, books, or other leisure activities | 13 | March-May 2002 |
| Look for political news/info | 13 | November 2002 |
| Get financial info | 12March-May 2003 | |
| Check sports scores and info | 12 | September 2002 |
| Watch a video clip or listen to an audio clip | 11 | March-May 2003 |
| Visit a government website | 11 | March-May 2003 |
| Research for school or training | 10 | September 2002 |
| Play a game | 9 | March-May 2003 |
| Look for info about a job | 7 | March-May 2003 |
| Bank online | 7 | October 2002 |
| Look for health/medical info | 6 | December 2002 |
| Take part in an online group | 6 | October 2002 |
| Get travel info | 6 | February-March 2001 |
| Buy a product | 5 | March-May 2003 |
| Go to a website that provides info or support for a specific medical condition or personal situation | 4 | December 2002 |
| Create content for the Internet | 4 | October 2002 |
| Look for religious/spiritual info | 4 | March-May 2003 |
| Chat in a chat room or in an online discussion | 4 | June-July 2002 |
| Download music files onto your computer | 4 | March-May 2003 |
| Listen to music online at a website | 4 | August-October 2001 |
| Download other files such as games, videos, or pictures | 4 | August-October 2001 |
| Share files from own computer w/ others | 4 | August-October 2001 |
| Look for info about a place to live | 4 | March-May 2003 |
| Buy or make a reservation for travel | 4 | March-May 2003 |
| Look up phone number or address | 4 | August-October 2001 |
| Search for a map or driving directions | 4 | August-October 2001 |
| Participate in an online auction | 4 | December 2002 |
Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project Tracking surveys (March 2000 - present) Last updated: June 24, 2003
You can find out more here.
Jack Loechner is the Editor of The Center for Media Research's daily Research Brief. You can reach him at jack@mediapost.com.