A Day in the Online Life
The number of Internet users skyrocketed in the last decade and there are an increasing number of different Internet-enabled devices with which to access the Web from virtually anywhere. It's clear that the Internet is now firmly entrenched in virtually every aspect of daily life, but just what are we all doing online?
Community Activities
Researchers from The MarketingProfs discovered significant changes in the online behavior of U.S. consumers from 2004 to 2009. In 2004, the most common behavior was communication (related to receiving and sending e-mail messages), at 42 percent of the users' time online. By 2009, the most common behavior had shifted to content activity (which includes accessing the Internet for news, facts, and media), also at 42 percent of the users' time online.
Another interesting development in the 2009 research was the addition of a new category for online activity related to community, such as social networking on sites like Facebook and Twitter. Community activities occupied 13 percent of the users' time in 2009. Online commerce held relatively steady over the years with a value of 17 percent in 2004 and 13 percent in 2009. In summary, the study shows that there were many more activities to conduct online in 2009 as compared to 2004, and Americans took advantage of these enhancements.
A separate study by Pew Research in April 2009 provides a snapshot of the pervasiveness of certain online activities. For example, 90 percent of U.S. adults go online to send or read e-mails. Search engines are used by 88 percent. Approximately 76 percent use the Internet to regularly check the weather. Products are purchased online by 75 percent of users and 66 percent book travel online. Lastly, 60 percent get news and information about politics from online sources.
Simultaneous TV and Online Usage
In recent months, researchers have noticed a considerable change in the TV viewing habits of U.S. adults. In March 2010, the Nielsen Report noted that simultaneous viewing of TV and the Internet is becoming common in many households; adults are multitasking during the time they spend watching TV. The study found a 35 percent increase in this multitasking activity and stated that the average American now spends 3.5 hours each month watching TV and conducting online activities at the same time.
Contrary to TV industry fears, online activity doesn't reduce the amount of TV watched, but simply means that people are sharing their attention between the TV and the Internet. Online activities while watching TV typically include social networking, e-mailing, and researching information. For example, TV viewers may want to exchange comments about the Academy Awards program with friends and family, dig deeper into a subject presented during a newscast, or make an online purchase encouraged by a commercial or product review.
More Times, More Places
Describing a day in the life of a typical online user (let's call her Nettie) might go something like this: While drinking her first cup of coffee at home, Nettie goes online to check the day's weather forecast, review news on a couple of favorite news sites like CNN.com and USAToday.com, and check sports scores from the previous night's games on ESPN.com. (For many, newspapers have been replaced by online news sites; even the comics are available online.)
After arriving at work, Nettie opens her e-mail and continues to check it all day. She answers work-related e-mail within an hour and responds to personal e-mail during breaks. Over her lunch hour, Nettie shops online for her son's birthday present and starts to do online research for her upcoming vacation. Because of her job, Nettie also regularly accesses online news and real-time financial data to stay current on critical information related to her projects.
After arriving home from work, Nettie catches up on personal e-mails and checks in with friends on Facebook and other social networking sites. She views and posts new photos, and shares a few personal updates. Then she settles in for the night's entertainment, having chosen between the movies and TV shows available to her online. As the day comes to a close, Nettie checks her e-mails one last time, reviews the news headlines, and takes a look at the forecast to plan her clothing choices for tomorrow.
The next five years should prove to be just as transformational for online usage as the previous five, as new and better tools are continually developed for Internet users. We can expect the Internet to facilitate more online interaction with friends and family through social networking, better ways to communicate online through video, and additional entertainment resources through media on demand.
What Kind of Online User are You?
Are you a Digital Collaborator who is very enthusiastic about the possibilities of online technology? An Ambivalent Networker that goes online to connect with others but sometimes finds the technology intrusive? Or a Drifting Surfer who uses the Internet infrequently and just for the basics?
Your specific type may be one of these three (or one of the seven others) that are identified by an online quiz available at http://pewinternet.org/Participate/What-Kind-of-Tech-User-Are-You.aspx. The Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project developed the quiz to help users identify the strengths and weaknesses of their online type. The data from the quiz is also used by researchers to spot trends and changes in online use. Take the quiz today to learn how you can get more out of your online activities.