• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, December 23, 2004

Travel Planning and Health Info Top Changes in Internet Use

A new Harris Poll shows that U.S. adults who are online are using the Internet more often for new and different purposes. While email (66%), research for work or school (46%), checking news and weather (43%), getting information about hobbies or special interests (40%) top the list of online activities which are used "very often" or "often," large numbers of adults are using it for many other purposes.

The two largest changes since last year are:

• Those who go online often, or very often, to make travel plans or reservations, up 11 points, from 15 percent to 26 percent.
• Those who go online often, or very often, to look for information about health or diseases, up six points from 15 percent to 21 percent.

This survey shows that Internet growth continues for two quite different reasons:

• The proportion of the population who are online continues to grow steadily.
• Those who use the Internet use it for more purposes than they did in the past.

Top 10 Internet Uses of Adult Online Users (% of respondents)

	Very Often	Often	Sometimes	Rarely	Never
To send or receive email	30%	36%	14%	11%	9%
To do research for work or school	18	28	19	10	24
To check on news updates, weather, etc.	16	27	26	18	14
To get information about a hobby or special interest	15	25	38	15	8
To gather information about products and services	14	24	38	10	15
To surf to explore new and different sites	10	24	34	22	10
To make travel plans and reservations	8	18	25	18	31
To obtain information on local amusements and activities	6	17	36	21	20
To obtain information about health or diseases	8	13	38	26	16
To pay bills	7	9	15	9	60

Source: Harris Interactive Inc. November 2004

Read the complete report here.