21% of instant message users use IM at their job. In recent years, the use of IM programs has gained popularity in the workplace. Twenty-one percent of IM users, or approximately 11 million American adults, say they instant message at work. This is the first time Pew Internet has probed more deeply into people’s behavior […]
About the Pew Internet & American Life Project: The Pew Internet Project is a nonprofit, non-partisan think tank that explores the impact of the internet on children, families, communities, the work place, schools, health care and civic/political life. The Project aims to be an authoritative source for timely information on the internet’s growth and societal […]
Americans incorporate IM into their repertoire of interpersonal communication. IM serves as an additional mode of communication for individuals in the same location. Nearly a quarter (24%) of IM users report that they have instant messaged someone in a physically close location, such as a home, office, or classroom. The silent aspect of using IM […]
The survey polled users’ participation in 18 everyday activities that belonged to four clearcut categories. To assemble a good list of activities, we followed insights gained from previous research and divided online activities into four categories: information seeking; communications; transactions; and entertainment. We chose several examples for each category. These examples are not meant to […]
Many of the comments about everyday Internet use were contributed in response to a query on our Web site, www.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/internet. Additional comments came from three Web sites, whose managers were generous to let us post queries on their message boards. We appreciate the help from Beliefnet.org, WAHM.com (Work at Home Moms) and from Fatherville.com. We […]
Introduction Nearly two-thirds of the American population is now online. Internet use continues to spread from work to home, and now to Americans’ on-the-go lives. Increasing numbers access the Web via broadband connections. The storehouse of available and searchable content is ever-expanding, and Americans’ collective appetite for it seems boundless. In this report, we explore […]
The vast majority of online Americans say the Internet plays a role in their daily routines and that the rhythm of their everyday lives would be affected if they could no longer go online. Yet, despite its great popularity and allure, the Internet st…
Introduction Americans use IM and its many special features for a variety of purposes in their lives. In addition to conducting conversations, IM users post profiles and add people to buddy lists to expand their social circles. IM users also take advantage of features such away messages to not only make themselves perpetually accessible to […]