• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, March 6, 2002

Lee Rainie, Director of the Pew Internet & American Life Project, in a new report says that "The Internet has gone from novelty to utility for many Americans. They are beginning to take it for granted, but they can't imagine life without it." The report "Getting Serious Online," finds that as Americans gain experience online, they use the Internet more for their jobs, to make more online purchases and carry out other financial transactions, and to write emails with more significant and intimate content.

In a separate survey in January 2002, Pew found that 55 million Americans now go online from work, up from 43 million who went online at work in March 2000. On a typical day, 36% of Americans with Internet access on the job were doing work-related research in March 2001, up from 25% a year earlier. Further, 44% of those who have Internet access at work say online tools improve their ability to do their jobs. By March 2001, 51 million Americans had emailed family members for advice, up from 30 million in 2000 - a 70% increase in a year.

Similarly, 51 million Americans said they had emailed a friend for advice, compared to 32 million Americans who had done this by March 2000. This pattern extends to emailing family members to express worries, with about 40 million American having done this in March 2001, compared to 25 million a year earlier. The share of Internet users who had bought products online grew from 47% of Internet users in March 2000 to 53% in March 2001. The proportion who had purchased travel services had grown from 34% to 42%. The number who had done online banking grew from 17% to 23%. And the percent of those who had participated in online auctions grew from 14% to 20%.

Americans' more serious approach to the Internet has been accompanied by evidence of increasing efficiency online and shifts in the allocation in time between online and offline activities. - an average surfer spent 7 fewer minutes online during a typical day's activity online in March 2001 than in March 2000.

In addition:
- 29% of Internet users who have bought something online said their Internet use has resulted in their spending less time shopping in stores.
- 25% of Internet users said they spend less time watching television because of the Internet.
- 14% of Internet users said their time online has decreased the time they spend reading newspapers.
- 14% of Internet users said the Net increased the amount of time they spent working at home.
- 10% say their use of the Internet increases the amount of time they spend at the office.

full report in Adobe PDF format.