The Internet's Role in Daily Life

The Pew Internet and American Life Project unveiled its latest findings today in a report called, The Internet's Growing Role in Life's Major Moments. The headline: 45% of Internet users (about 60 million Americans), say that the Internet helped them make big decisions or negotiate their way through major episodes in their lives in the previous two years.

More specifically, over a 3-year period they found that Internet use grew by:

• 54% in the number of adults who said the Internet played a major role as they helped another person cope with a major illness. And the number of those who said the internet played a major role as they coped themselves with a major illness increased 40%.
• 50% in the number who said it played a major role as they pursued more training for their careers.
• 45% in the number who said it played a major role as they made major investment or financial decisions.
• 43% in the number who said it played a major role when they looked for a new place to live.
• 42% in the number who said it played a major role as they decided about a school or a college for themselves or their children.
• 23% in the number who said it played a major role when they bought a car.
• 14% in the number who said it played a major role as they switched jobs.

Furthermore, they conclude that the channel seems to matter most in cases where decisions can be based on research by non-experts, such as getting additional training for one’s job or choosing a school. In all cases, the Internet’s capacity to let users draw on social networks was part of the decision-making dynamic.