Mail and News Are Main Internet Attractions

GALLUP NEWS SERVICE

PRINCETON, NJ -- A recent Gallup Poll examining Americans' online habits finds e-mail use almost universal among the three-quarters of U.S. adults who use the Internet. Checking the news and weather ranks second on the list of 13 Internet activities measured, although not as many Americans surf for news frequently as e-mail frequently.

According to Gallup's latest Lifestyle survey, conducted Dec. 5-8, 2005, 73% of Americans use the Internet, while 27% never use it.

Web users were asked whether they participate in each of 13 Internet activities "frequently," "occasionally," "rarely," or "never." In addition to e-mailing and reading news, a majority of online Americans today use the Internet on at least some occasions for shopping, making travel plans, and finding medical advice. Half of adult Internet users say they have paid bills online, although only a quarter frequently do this.

Playing games, using instant messaging, budgeting personal finances, watching video Webcasts, and participating in online auctions (such as eBay) are activities limited to smaller percentages of adult Internet users.

The least pervasive uses of the Internet, however, are reading "blogs" (i.e., Web logs) and downloading music. Only a third of Internet users indicate they ever engage in these activities online, and only a small fraction do so frequently.

Usage Summary

Perhaps the best summary indicator of Web activity is the percentage of Internet users who engage in each activity frequently or occasionally. On this basis, 87% are active users of e-mail, 52% use the Internet for shopping and travel planning, 40% pay bills online, 23% participate in online auctions, and 20% read blogs.

No Major Trends

Remarkably little has changed in reported Internet usage over the past two years. Of the nine activities measured in December 2003, the only notable differences are modest increases in the percentages using the Internet for making travel arrangements and paying bills, and a slight decline in the percentage using instant messaging.

Modest Gender Gaps

Only a few significant gender differences exist in Internet activity, and these are relatively minor.

Men are slightly more likely than women to seek news and weather online (76% of men do this frequently or occasionally, versus 68% of women). Men are also more likely to read blogs (24% vs. 17%) and participate in online auctions (27% vs. 19%).

Women are more likely to use e-mail (91% of women vs. 83% of men) and seek medical advice (46% vs. 36%).

Some Generational Differences Seen

There is a distinction among Internet activities between those used almost equally by all age groups, and those oriented to younger adults.

Online activities showing no major generational divide include e-mailing, checking news and weather, playing games, and budgeting personal finances.

Online activities in which substantially higher usage is seen among those under 65 include paying bills, shopping, and participating in online auctions.

Instant messaging, downloading music, reading blogs, and watching video Webcasts or video clips are skewed to an even younger audience. Those 18 to 49 or 18 to 29 are much more likely than those 65 and older to be doing these activities.

Two activities appear to have niche markets among middle-aged Americans. Most of Generation X and the youngest baby boomers (those 30 to 49) are the group most likely to use the Internet for making travel plans. Pre-retirees (those 50 to 64) are especially likely to seek medical advice online.

Survey Methods

These results are based on telephone interviews with a randomly selected national sample of 1,013 adults, aged 18 and older, conducted Dec. 5-8, 2005. For results based on this sample, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum error attributable to sampling and other random effects is ±3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.

25. How much time, if at all, do you personally spend using the Internet -- more than an hour a day, up to one hour a day, a few times a week, a few times a month or less, or never?

26. How often do you, yourself, use the Internet to do the following -- frequently, occasionally, rarely, or never? How about for -- [RANDOM ORDER]?

BASED ON 759 INTERNET USERS