---
title: "Who Uses the Internet, What They Do, and What it Means"
description: "This speech describes the mass adoption of the internet in the U.S. and its resultant impact on economic, social and civic spheres."
date: "2005-03-30"
authors:
  - name: "Lee Rainie"
    job_title: "Former Director, Internet and Technology Research"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/lee-rainie/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2005/03/30/who-uses-the-internet-what-they-do-and-what-it-means/"
categories:
  - "Emerging Technology"
tags:
  - "Digital Divide"
  - "Future of the Internet"
  - "Generations"
  - "New Media Ecology"
---

# Who Uses the Internet, What They Do, and What it Means

This speech describes the mass adoption of the internet in the U.S. and its resultant impact on economic, social and civic spheres. It also tells the story of the internet as it relates to other historical trends in technology adoption.