from the New York times
August 26, 1998
Study Says 70 Million American Adults Use the Internet
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON -- More than one-third of Americans over 16 use the
Internet, an increase of more than 18 million people in nine
months, according to a new survey released Tuesday of online use.
The study by Nielsen Media Research and CommerceNet estimates 70.2
million adult Americans use the Internet, with the largest
increases among blacks and American Indians and among young adults
and women over 50 in the nine months through June 1998.
The study also estimated that 44 million Americans -- almost twice
as many men than women -- use the Web to make purchases or compare
products.
One researcher speculated that new types of products for sale
across the Internet are driving electronic commerce, along with
falling personal computer prices and technology that's easier to
use.
"A couple years ago, when you went shopping, the primary things you
would find online were computers, hardware and software -- things
for the techno-elite," said Loel McPhee, research director at
CommerceNet. "Now you can send flowers and all sorts of things."
The 70.2 million figure represents 35 percent of Americans over 16;
the same study in September 1997 counted 52 million adult Americans
online.
The study estimated 40.1 million American men and 30.1 million
women use the Internet and said percentage growth among men and
women overall during the nine-month period was about equal.
"Last fall, we thought there might be a slight leveling off," said
McPhee. "This isn't the case with the numbers we're seeing now. My
guess is we'll continue to grow until we hit the 50 percent mark."
McPhee predicted 50 percent of adults in America and Canada will
use the Internet by late 1999 or early 2000.
Detailed figures from Tuesday's study showed the largest gains in
Internet use among some minority groups -- especially blacks and
American Indians -- and among young adults and women over 50.
The report estimated 5.6 million U.S. blacks use the Internet, an
increase of 53 percent from nine months earlier, and 868,000
American Indians online, an increase of 70 percent.
It also showed gains of 46 percent among people ages 16-24, and an
increase of 50 percent in the number of women over 50 using the
Internet.
The Nielsen-CommerceNet study was based in part on randomly dialed
telephone interviews with 4,042 people in the United States during
June 1998. The September study was based in part on telephone
interviews with 7,157 Americans.
People who had used any part of the Internet -- e-mail, the Web,
FTP, telnet, chat rooms or discussion groups -- during the past
month were counted as Internet users.
A summary of the report is available on the Web at
www.commerce.net/research. The full report costs $5,000.
Copyright 1998 The New York Times Company
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