Posted on 02/17/2006 4:43:04 PM PST by Mr. Brightside
40 Million Just Hang Out Online Each Day
POSTED: 10:46 am EST February 17, 2006
About 40 million Internet users go online just for fun or to pass the time each day, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project.
Some 30 percent of Internet users go online on any given day for no particular reason, just for fun or to pass the time. That makes it one of the most populat online activities and indicates that the online environment is increasingly popular as a place for people to spend their free time, the group said.
Surfing for fun now stands only behind sending or receiving email (52 percent) and using a search engine (38 percent) as typical daily activities. It is in a virtual tie for third with getting news (31 percent).
In a survey in late November 2004, the group found about 25 million people went online on any given day just to browse for fun.
Two-thirds of people in the survey said that they go online sometimes for fun or just to pass the time. Thirty percent said they had done it the day before they were asked.
Thirty-four percent of men said they had done it the previous day, but only 26 percent of women, though the numbers who had ever done it were similar.
Broadband users at home were more likely to just play online that those with a dialup connection.
The group said that, along with greater broadband penetration, part of the reason for leisurely Web surfing is an increase in content. The Google index of Web pages, for example, has grown over 1,000 times in size since its launch in 1998. The number of websites grew from 17 million in the middle of 2000 to 65 million in the middle of 2005.
Every friend we know who loved EBAY has had a bad experience with EBAY, and their love affair with EBAY no longer exists.
However, they will sneak back to EBAY like a rat addicted heroin laced cheese.
I carry a little bottle of heart attack pills (nitro) for such a event...
This is what is great about FR. A FRiend can call you a rat and there is not much you can do about it... :)
FR alone is VASTLY more interesting that ALL THREE television networks and ALL their offerings.
I predict as computing power increases, television ratings will continue to plumet.
Dang, you sure are sharp for so early in the morning!:)
Boy! The way they talk, you'd thing the web was addictive or something! But not for me! I can take it or leave it. Not a problem! I can stop this surfing any time I feel like it. No problemo!
Now I'm real sensitive about spending so much time here and my computer equipment is getting sensitive too....now my NEC Plasma Display is blanking out on me after being on for awhile....and I can't find my paperwork to get it replaced....damn....been looking all day!
But I powered on and now it is working again...very strange////
I don't need that stuff, I have power plants within my line of sight!
Your a little late. I gave away a really nice 13" RCA TV today...
And yesterday and the day before and.....
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.