This report analyzes the responses of more than 64,000 Americans to phone surveys in the past three years. It finds that 63% of U.S. adults now are online and many of them have built Internet use into their lives in practical ways.
More than three-quarters of Internet users went online this season for some kind of holiday activity. For many email was vital for planning gatherings or sending greetings. Online holiday shopping was up slightly from the previous year.
Pew Internet Project surveys tracked a 164% increase in online banking and a 90% increase in travel purchases between 2000 and 2002. Convenience and cost savings were the top reasons cited by Internet users who have switched to online banking.
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.
Online Holiday shopping grew this season from the previous, though Internet users also increasingly use the Internet during the holiday season to search for information on travel, holiday crafts, recipes and traditions.