Most Popular Internet Activities
Updated June 26, 2020 |
Infoplease Staff
Here are percentages of internet users who do such activities online as sending email, playing games, downloading music, and more.
| Percent of Internet users who report this activity | |
|---|---|
| Send or read email | 92% |
| Use a search engine to find information | 89 |
| Search for a map or driving directions | 86 |
| Look for info on a hobby or interest | 83 |
| Research a product or service before buying | 81 |
| Check the weather | 80 |
| Look for health/medical info | 75 |
| Get travel info | 73 |
| Get news | 73 |
| Buy a product | 71 |
| Visit a local, state, or federal government website | 66 |
| Buy or make a reservation for travel | 64 |
| Surf the Web for fun | 62 |
| Go to a website that provides info or support for a specific medical condition or personal situation | 58 |
| Research for school or training | 57 |
| Watch a video clip or listen to an audio clip | 56 |
| Look for "how-to," "do-it-yourself," or repair information | 55 |
| Look online for news or information about politics or the upcoming campaigns | 55 |
| Look up phone number or address | 54 |
| Do any banking online | 53 |
| Watch a video on a video-sharing site like YouTube or GoogleVideo | 52 |
| Take a virtual tour of a location online | 51 |
| Do any type of research for your job | 51 |
| Look online for info about a job | 47 |
| Get sports scores and info online | 45 |
| Get info online about a college, university, or other school you or a family member might attend | 45 |
| Download other files such as games, videos, or pictures | 42 |
| Get financial info online, such as stock quotes or mortage interest rates | 41 |
| Send instant messages | 40 |
| Look for info about a place to live | 39 |
| Download computer programs from the Internet | 39 |
| Pay bills online | 38 |
| Download music files to your computer | 37 |
| Upload photos to a website so you can share them with others online | 37 |
| Look for information on Wikipedia | 36 |
| Send or receive text messages using a cell phone | 35 |
| Look for religious/spiritual info | 35 |
| Play online games | 35 |
| Listen to music online at a website | 34 |
| Read someone else's online journal, web log, or blog | 33 |
| Rate a product, service, or person using an online rating system | 32 |
| Use online classified ads or sites like Craig's list | 32 |
| Log on to the internet using a wireless device | 30 |
| Listen to a live or recorded radio broadcast online, such as a newscast, sporting event, or radio show | 29 |
| Categorize or tag online content like a photo, news story, or blog post | 28 |
| Search for info about someone you know or might meet | 28 |
| Pay to access or download digital content online | 28 |
| Share files from own computer with others | 27 |
| Download video files to your computer | 27 |
| Participate in an online auction | 26 |
| Research your family's history or genealogy online | 25 |
| Download screensavers from the Internet | 23 |
| Chat in a chat room or in an online discussion | 22 |
| Download computer games from the Internet | 21 |
| Create content for the Internet | 19 |
| Download a podcast so you can listen to it or view it at a later time | 19 |
| Make a donation to a charity online | 18 |
| View live images online of a remote location or person, using a webcam | 17 |
| Use an online social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook, or Friendster | 16 |
| Sell something online | 15 |
| Visit an adult website | 13 |
| Take a class online just for personal enjoyment or enrichment | 13 |
| Participate in an online discussion, a listserv, or other online group that helps people with personal issues or health problems | 12 |
| Send or receive an invitation to a meeting or party using an online invitation service | 12 |
| Take a class online for credit toward a degree of some kind | 12 |
| Create or work on your own online journal or blog | 12 |
| Take material you find online—like songs, text, or images—and remix it into your own artistic creation | 11 |
| Buy or sell stocks, bonds, or mutual funds | 11 |
| Make a phone call online | 8 |
| Go to a dating website or other site where you can meet people online | 6 |
| Create an avatar or online representation of yourself | 6 |
| Download or share adult content online | 4 |
Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project tracking surveys (July 22, 2008).
| Daily Internet Activities | Internet Statistics and Resources | How Many Americans Have Done This Activity |
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