What Do Americans Use the Internet For? - 2002-10-19

A reputable economic research group in New York has published the results of the first survey on how American consumers use the Internet. Since the Internet became publicly available, it has experienced exponential growth. Currently, one hundred and fifty million people in the United States use the Internet. But what do these individuals do in this virtual space? Lynn Franco, a member of the group that conducted the research, states that "the report clearly shows that the main motivation for using the Internet is personal communication and personal research. These are the two main reasons that draw people to the Internet." Ms. Franco notes that the majority of personal research and inquiries are for online shopping, and this trend is increasing. She adds, "Almost two-thirds of consumers across the United States have used the Internet, and although customer satisfaction with the Internet is on the rise, trust in it remains low and is still a concern." Customers who shop online are worried that transaction information or their personal data may be stolen by those with malicious intentions. Nevertheless, the percentage of those who spend more than two hundred and fifty dollars online every four months has increased by three percent compared to the previous year. This report is based on a survey of ten thousand American families and will be published three times a year.