The internet plays a pivotal role in the lives of American teenagers, with 73% of 12-17 year olds (17 million people) logging on regularly, according to new research from the Pew Internet & American Life Project. The study claims that teenagers’ use of the Net plays a major role in their relationships with their friends, their families and their schools.
Just under half of those surveyed said their use of the internet improves their relationship with friends and more than half of parents with online teens think that the web is a good thing for their children; just 6% say it has been a bad thing.
The survey also found that close to 13 million teenagers use instant messaging regularly, although the telephone remains the primary method of getting in touch with friends. The top five uses of the web are email, surfing for fun, visiting entertainment sites, sending instant messages and looking for information on hobbies.
| Activities on the Web |
| What teens have done online |
| The percentage of youth with Internet access aged 12 through 17 who have done the following activities online: |
| |
|
| |
|
| Send or read email |
92 |
| Surf the Web for fun |
84 |
| Visit an entertainment site |
83 |
| Send an instant message |
74 |
| Look for info on hobbies |
69 |
| Get news |
68 |
| Play or download a game |
66 |
| Research a product or service before buying it |
66 |
| Listen to music online |
59 |
| Visit a chat room |
55 |
| Download music files |
53 |
| Check sports scores |
47 |
| Go to a Web site where they can express opinions about something |
38 |
| Buy something online |
31 |
| Visit sites for trading or selling things |
31 |
| Look for health-related information |
26 |
| Create a Web page |
24 |
| Look for info on a topic that is hard to talk about |
18 |
| |
|
| Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project |
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Even as ad revenues drop in the current online climate, there is evidence that teens are receptive to online advertising, says the report. Boys are much more likely to click on ads than girls – 60% of boys report having clicked through, compared to only 47% of girls. Older youths are more likely than younger teens to have clicked on an ad and click-rates increase with frequency of internet use. The research also shows that people from wealthier families are more likely than those from households with lesser incomes to have checked out online adverts.
