Commentary

Research Behind the Numbers: Internet Use

A recently released Census Bureau survey details the dramatic changes that have taken place over the past dozen years.

A survey completed in September 2001 by the U.S. Census Bureau shows that the Internet has exploded as a commercial and communication tool, soaring from 18.6 percent household penetration in 1988 to 54 percent in 2001. “A Nation Online: How Americans Are Expanding Their Use of the Internet” found that Internet use in the United States is currently growing at a rate of 2 million new users per month.

The report says that 60.2 million U.S. homes have a personal computer, seven of every eight households with computers subscribe to the Internet, and 143 million Americans go online. It also shows that not only are Americans using the Internet and computers at home, they are also using them at work, at school, in the library, and in other locations for an expanding variety of purposes.

Children and teenagers use the Internet more than any other age group. Seventy-five percent of 14-to-17-year-olds and 65 percent of 10-to-13-year-olds use the Internet. Sixty-two percent of households with children under the age of 18 are likely to access the Internet, versus only 53 percent of those households with no children.

Regardless of income, education, age, race, ethnicity, or gender, Internet use is increasing. Since 1988, Internet use by individuals in the lowest-income households increased 25 percent annually. Internet use among the highest-income households increased 11 percent annually.

During this period, Internet use among Blacks and Hispanics increased at annual rates of 33 and 30 percent, respectively. Whites and Asian American/Pacific Islanders experienced annual growth rates of 20 percent during the same period. The rural household increase has been at an average annual rate of 24 percent, and the percentage of Internet users in rural areas is now almost even with the 54 percent national average.

Forty-five percent of the population now uses e-mail. Thirty-six percent of Americans use the Internet to search for product and service information. Thirty-nine percent of Internet users are making online purchases, 35 percent are searching for health information, and 8 percent conduct banking online. Approximately 24 million of the 65 million employed adults who use a computer at their job are highly likely to use the Internet at home. In 2001, 65.4 percent of employed people over 16 were Internet users. In contrast, only 36.9 percent of people who were not employed were Internet users.

Individuals who live in high-income households are more likely to be Internet users than those who live in low-income households. Internet use climbs steadily as children become young adults, levels off at relatively high rates for people between the ages of 26 and 55, and then falls among older people. People who used the Internet when they were younger will likely continue to do so as they age.

In September 2001, the Internet use rate was 53.9 percent for males and 53.8 percent for females. However, women from approximately age 20 to age 50 are more likely to be Internet users than men. From about age 60 and older, men have higher rates of Internet use than women. And yet, here’s the road remaining to be traveled. Though Internet use has expanded dramatically, a number of groups are more likely not to be Internet users. These non-users include 75 percent of people who live in households where income is less than $15,000 and 67 percent of those in households with incomes between $15,000 and $35,000; 60 percent of adults (age 25+) with only a high school degree and 87 percent of adults with less than a high school education; 68 percent of all Hispanics; 86 percent of Hispanic households where Spanish is the only language spoken; and 60 percent of Blacks.

The report concludes that “our nation has passed a significant milestone now that the majority of Americans use computers and the Internet for their daily activities. This trend is enriching our world, facilitating our work lives, and providing a skill set needed for a growing economy.”

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