Development Seed Blog

The Pew Internet & American Life Project recently published findings from a random digit dial telephone polling conducted in November and December, 2003. Of the 2,013 American adults questioned, 1,358 were internet users, and 30 percent of these internet users said online communication is “critically important” to them.

- 88% of online Americans say the internet plays a role in their daily routines. Of those, one-third say it plays a major role and two-thirds say it plays a minor role. The activities they identified as most significant are communicating with family and friends and finding a wealth of information at their fingertips.
- 85% say the internet is a good way to communicate or interact with others.
- 64% of internet users say their daily routines and activities would be affected if they could no longer use the internet.
- 53% of internet users say they do more of certain everyday activities simply because they can do them on the internet. The most popular are communicating with family and friends and looking up information.
- The survey also shows there is a notable segment of internet users for whom use of the internet in everyday activities and communication is critically important. About 30% of internet users say the internet play a “major role” in their lives and many of them rely on the Internet more than off line sources to accomplish everyday tasks.