Other Free Encyclopedias :: Social Issues Reference :: Social Trends in America - Vol 1

People and the Internet: Data Presentation

Our Time Spent on Selected Entertainment

Hours per year.
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
Recorded music 288 292 270 283 290
Internet 5 10 34 61 99
Daily newspapers 166 161 159 156 154
Home video games 22 25 36 43 61
Consumer books 100 99 95 96 91
Television 1,580 1,559 1,544 1,551 1,588
Radio 970 973 964 936 967
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2001, Washington D.C. 2001.

Internet Population by Race

In percent.
Oct-97 Dec-98 Aug-00 Sep-01
Whites 25.3 37.6 50.3 59.9
Blacks 13.2 19.0 29.3 39.8
Asians/Pacific Islanders 26.4 35.8 49.4 60.4
Hispanics 11.0 16.6 23.7 31.6
Percent of Total Population 22.2 32.7 44.4 53.9
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, A Nation Online: How Americans Are Expanding Their Use of the Internet, February 2002.

Internet Population by Age Group

In percent.
Oct-97 Dec-98 Aug-00 Sep-01
Age 3-8 7.2 11 15.3 27.9
Age 9-17 33.2 43 53.4 68.6
Age 18-24 31.6 44.3 56.8 65.0
Age 25-49 27.1 40.9 55.4 63.9
Age 50 and over 11.2 19.3 29.6 37.1
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, A Nation Online: How Americans Are Expanding Their Use of the Internet, February 2002.

Internet Households by Income

In percent.
Oct-97 Dec-98 Aug-00 Sep-01
Less than $15,000 9.2 13.7 18.9 25
$15,000-$24,999 11.6 18.4 25.5 33.4
$25,000-$34,999 17.1 25.3 35.7 44.1
$35,000-$49,999 22.8 34.7 46.5 57.1
$50,000-$74,999 32.3 45.5 57.7 67.3
$75,000 and above 44.5 58.9 70.1 78.9
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, A Nation Online: How Americans Are Expanding Their Use of the Internet, February 2002.

Online Population by Gender

In percent.
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
Women 45.0 48.0 49.0 50.0 52.0
Men 55.0 52.0 51.0 50.0 48.0
Online Population 56.7 84.5 104.5 116.4 142.8
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, A Nation Online: How Americans Are Expanding Their Use of the Internet, February 2002.

Kids and Teens Take to the Web

Internet use in percent.
Oct-97 Dec-98 Aug-00 Sep-01
Ages 3-8 7.2 11.0 15.3 27.9
Ages 9-17 33.2 43.0 53.4 68.6
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, A Nation Online: How Americans Are Expanding Their Use of the Internet, February 2002.

The Internet Grows, So Do Computer Attacks

Number of domain hosts are in millions.
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
No. of computer attacks 2,134.0 3,734.0 9,858.0 21,756.0 52,658.0
Internet domain hosts 16.1 29.6 43.2 72.3 109.5
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, A Nation Online: How Americans Are Expanding Their Use of the Internet, February 2002.

Top Search Terms, March 1999-January 2001

Term Percent
Games 6.59
AOL 7.31
Ebay 7.31
Horoscopes 8.00
MP3 9.35
Chat/chatrooms 12.33
Porn/porno/pornography 14.02
Yahoo 20.44
Hotmail 21.21
Sex 32.89
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, A Nation Online: How Americans Are Expanding Their Use of the Internet, February 2002.

Visitors to Relationship Web Sites, January 2000 and January 2001

In millions.
Jan-00 Jan-01
Personal Web sites 3.9 5.6
Gift, flower, greeting card e-tailers 12.3 17.9
Source: Mullins, Robert. "Love Silicon Valley Style." Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal, June 22, 2001; "Valentine's Day Lights E-Commerce Fire." Retrieved February 27, 2002 from the World Wide Web: http://www.ecommercetimes.com; "Online Love in the Time of Calamity." Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service, December 31, 2001

What Do We Buy on eBay?

In $ millions.
Total sales
Computers 7.7
Toys 8.2
Jewelry 9.4
Music, movies, books 9.8
Electronics 9.8
Antiques 11.2
Sports 18.3
Automobiles 23.7
Collectibles 25.4
Source: Brown, Eryn. "How Can a Dot-Com Be This Hot?" Fortune, January 21, 2002.

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