Using the Internet out of boredom? You're not alone. More adults than ever before are using the Internet to kill time, thanks to the prevalence of high-speed broadband connections and the explosion of social networking.
The Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project reports that 58% of U.S. adults go online for no particular reason except to have fun or pass the time. Young adults ages 18-29 are most apt to head online for fun (81% today, compared to 47% who did so in 2000), followed by adults in the 30-49 age group (66% today, compared to 35% in 2000). Even senior citizens are passing the time online; 23% said they go online for no particular reason, compared to 6% who said so in 2000.
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Back in March 2000, when the Pew Internet Project first asked if people were using the Internet as a diversion, 29% of add adults said they had gone online to kill some time. At the time, those who used the Internet in this way were predominately young, affluent, well-educated adults. Now the habit is more universal.
"In the ensuing years, men and women, blacks, Latinos and whites, those in higher-income households and lower-income households, those with a lot of education and those without as much education, have all increased their use of the internet for this reason," Pew Internet Project reports.
In 2011, more men (62%) said they're likely to kill time on the Internet than women (54%).
Ann Bednarz covers IT careers, outsourcing and Internet culture for Network World. Follow Ann on Twitter at @annbednarz and check out her blog, Occupational Hazards. Her e-mail address is abednarz@nww.com.