Email, Research, News and Weather, Information about Hobbies or Special Interests Top the List of How People Use the Internet as it Continues to Grow

Email, Research, News and Weather, Information about Hobbies or Special Interests Top the List of How People Use the Internet as it Continues to Grow

Biggest increases since last year: travel planning and health

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Dec. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- A new Harris Poll shows that U.S. adults who are online are using the Internet more often for new and different purposes. While email (66%), research for work or school (46%), checking news and weather (43%), getting information about hobbies or special interests (40%) top the list of online activities which are used "very often" or "often," large numbers of adults are using it for many other purposes.

These are the results of a nationwide telephone survey of 819 U.S. adults who are online, conducted by Harris Interactive(R) between November 9 and 14, 2004.

The next most frequent online activities are getting information about products and services (38% do this very often or often), web surfing to explore new and different sites (34%), making travel plans or reservations (26%), seeking information about local events and activities (22%) and getting information about health or diseases (21%).

Biggest changes since last year

Most of the numbers are similar to what they were in December 2003. The two largest changes are:

* Those who go online often, or very often, to make travel plans or
reservations, up 11 points, from 15 percent to 26 percent.

* Those who go online often, or very often, to look for information
about health or diseases, up six points from 15 percent to 21
percent.

Biggest changes since 2000


Many of these activities are more common today than they were four years ago, when Harris Interactive first asked these questions. The biggest increases in those things done often or very often since 2000 are:

* Getting information about products and services, up 13 points,
from 25 percent to 38 percent.

* Making travel plans or reservations, up 15 points, from 11
percent to 26 percent.

* Seeking information about local amusements and activities, up 11
points, from 11 percent to 22 percent.

* Doing research for work or school, up nine points, from 37 percent
to 46 percent.

* Obtaining information about health or disease up eight points,
from 13 percent to 21 percent.



Of course, the total increases are much larger than this as the total online population now is substantially higher than it was in 2000 (73% of all adults now vs. 49% of all adults in 2000).

This survey shows that Internet growth continues for two quite different reasons:

1) The proportion of the population who are online continues to grow
steadily.

2) Those who use the Internet use it for more purposes than they did
in the past.

TABLE 1
FREQUENCY OF USING INTERNET FOR 19 DIFFERENT PURPOSES
"Thinking about what you do online, how often do you use the Internet, the


World Wide Web or an online service -- very often, often, sometimes, rarely,

or never?"

Base: Adult Online Users

Very Often Sometimes Rarely Never
Often
To send or receive email % 30 36 14 11 9
To do research for
work or school % 18 28 19 10 24
To check on news updates,
weather, etc. % 16 27 26 18 14
To get information about
a hobby or special
interest % 15 25 38 15 8
To gather information
about products
and services % 14 24 38 10 15
To surf to explore new
and different sites % 10 24 34 22 10
To make travel plans
and reservations % 8 18 25 18 31
To obtain information on
local amusements
and activities % 6 17 36 21 20
To obtain information
about health or diseases % 8 13 38 26 16
To pay bills % 7 9 15 9 60
To shop online % 5 11 31 18 35
To download or play games % 6 8 14 18 54
For financial management
and investing % 5 7 14 24 50
To find and download
software % 5 5 18 26 46
To search for a job % 4 5 17 17 56
To participate in
chat groups % 3 4 3 9 81
To make phone calls % 2 3 1 9 85
To take courses % 2 3 9 12 74
To download music % 1 8 10 16 65

* = Less than 0.5%.

(C)2004, Harris Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction
prohibited without the express written permission of Harris
Interactive.

TABLE 2
CHANGES IN FREQUENT USE OF INTERNET FOR 19 DIFFERENT PURPOSES
"Thinking about what you do online, how often do you use the Internet, the


World Wide Web or an online service -- very often, often, sometimes, rarely,

or never?"
Percentage of those saying "very often" or "often"

Base: Adult Online Users

Dec. Dec. Nov. Percentage Point
2000 2003 2004 Increase/ Decrease
2000 - 2004
% % %

To send or receive email 74 67 66 -8
To do research for work or school 37 45 46 +9
To check on news updates,
weather, etc. 38 40 43 +5
To get information about a hobby
or special interest 34 36 40 +6
To gather information about
products and services 25 41 38 +13
To surf to explore new and
different sites 24 32 34 +10
To make travel plans and
reservations 11 15 26 +15
To obtain information on local
amusements and activities 11 19 22 +11
To obtain information about
health or diseases 13 15 21 +8
To shop online N/A 22 16 N/A
To pay bills N/A 18 16 N/A
To download or play games 13 18 14 +1
For financial management
and investing 14 15 12 -2
To find and download software N/A 10 10 N/A
To search for a job N/A 10 10 N/A
To download music N/A N/A 9 N/A
To participate in chat groups 6 5 7 +1
To make phone calls N/A 3 5 N/A
To take courses 3 6 5 +2

N/A = Not Applicable.

(C)2004, Harris Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction
prohibited without the express written permission of Harris
Interactive.

Methodology


The Harris Poll(R) was conducted by telephone within the United States between November 9 and 14, 2004 among a nationwide cross section of 819 adults (ages 18 and over) who say they use the Internet at home, work, school, library or some other location. Figures for age, sex, race, education, number of adults, number of voice/telephone lines in the household, region and size of place were weighted where necessary to align them with their actual proportions in the population.

In theory, with a probability sample of this size, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the results have a statistical precision of plus or minus 3 percentage points of what they would be if the entire U.S. adult population who use the Internet had been polled with complete accuracy. Unfortunately, there are several other possible sources of error in all polls or surveys that are probably more serious than theoretical calculations of sampling error. They include refusals to be interviewed (nonresponse), question wording and question order, interviewer bias, weighting by demographic control data and screening (e.g., for likely voters). It is impossible to quantify the errors that may result from these factors.

These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

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About Harris Interactive(R)


Harris Interactive Inc. (http://www.harrisinteractive.com/), the 15th largest and fastest-growing market research firm in the world, is a Rochester, N.Y.-based global research company that blends premier strategic consulting with innovative and efficient methods of investigation, analysis and application. Known for The Harris Poll(R) and for pioneering Internet-based research methods, Harris Interactive conducts proprietary and public research to help its clients achieve clear, material and enduring results.

Harris Interactive combines its intellectual capital, databases and technology to advance market leadership through U.S. offices and wholly owned subsidiaries: London-based HI Europe (http://www.hieurope.com/), Paris-based Novatris (http://www.novatris.com/), Tokyo-based Harris Interactive Japan, through newly acquired WirthlinWorldwide (http://www.wirthlinworldwide.com/), a Reston, Virginia-based research and consultancy firm ranked 25th largest in the world, and through an independent global network of affiliate market research companies. EOE M/F/D/V.

To become a member of the Harris Poll Online(SM) and be invited to participate in future online surveys, visit http://www.harrispollonline.com/.

Press Contacts:
Nancy Wong
Harris Interactive
585-214-7316

Kelly Gullo
Harris Interactive
585-214-7172

Harris Interactive Inc. 12/04

The Harris Poll(R) #98, December 15, 2004
By Humphrey Taylor, chairman of The Harris Poll, Harris Interactive.



Source: Harris Interactive Inc.

CONTACT: Nancy Wong, +1-585-214-7316, or Kelly Gullo, +1-585-214-7172,
both of Harris Interactive

Web site: http://www.harrisinteractive.com/


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