Worldwide Internet use is also growing
The CIA Fact book estimates that 655 million people now use the Internet. Marketing companies estimate between 709.1 million and 945 million people will be online by 2004. Globally, men still outnumber women when it comes to using the Net. However, data indicates that more women than men are using the Internet in the United States, with this trend beginning to occur overseas.
In the United States, children and teenagers are most likely to use the Internet and computers. As reported in A Nation Online, 90% of children between the ages of 5 and 17 (48 million) use computers. Also, 75% of 14 to 17-year-olds and 65% of 10 to 13-year-olds use the Internet. Logically households with children under age 18 are more likely to have Internet access than those without children (62% versus 53%).
Figure 4: From A Nation Online: Chapter 2: Computer and Internet Use
The Digital Divide
The so-called 'Digital Divide' the Internet access gap between the rich and the poor, has been narrowed by the expanding presence of Internet linked computers in schools. (See Figure 4.)
A Nation Online indicates that Internet use is increasing for all Americans, regardless of income, age, education, race, ethnic background, or gender. Between December 1998 and September 2001, Internet use in the lowest-income households (those earning less than $15,000 per year) increased at a 25% annual growth rate. Internet use in the highest-income households (those earning $75,000 per year or more) increased at a much slower 11% annual growth rate.
During the same time period, Internet use among Blacks increased at an annual rate of 33%. For Hispanics the annual increase was 30%. Whites, Asian American and Pacific Islanders saw annual growth rates of about 20%. Internet use in rural households increased at an annual rate of 24%. The number of Internet users in rural areas is now almost even with the national average of 54%.
Not only is access rapidly growing in the US and abroad, but the quality of the Internet connection is also on the rise. 80% of Americans with home access use a dial-up modem to connect to the Internet. However, A Nation Online found that from August 2000 to September 2001, residential use of broadband Internet access doubled from 4% to 11% of all individuals, and from 11 to 20% of all American Internet users. As broadband access increases, we can anticipate an increase in multi-media resources on the web.
For most users (45%) e-mail is the most popular application. (See Figure 5.) However, searching for information is on the increase. According to the study, about one-third of Americans use the Internet to search for products and service data (36%, up from 26% in 2000). 35% of Internet users are searching for health information, while 39% are making online purchases.
It is clear that the number of Internet users will continue to grow. Understanding how to use the Internet, and more specifically how to locate and evaluate resources on the Internet will be a crucial literacy for the 21st Century!
Figure 5: Online Activities, 2000 and 2001 as a Percentage of Total U.S. Population.
Authored by Dennis O'Connor 2003