Monday, December 5, 2011

Most people go online 'for no particular reason,' survey finds

Why do people go on the Internet?  Nowadays this is not really a question we ask ourselves because so much of our time is spent on the Internet doing everything.  We can enjoy entertainment like movies or games, we can pay bills or bank online, and we can interact with other people.  Really there is almost no end to what someone can do online.  A huge portion of our people's lives is now spent and depends on going online doing everything we need and want to do.

For this reason I find it interesting that a company would so a survey about why most people go online.  In an article from cnet.com, a report from Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project found that more people are going online for "no particular reason".  This happens to be increasing since last year.  The study surveyed 2,260 adults 18 years of age and older about why they go on the internet.  More than half of the age group of 18-29, 53%, said they go online just for fun or for a diversion from boredom.  However, the article also found that this is not just the case for the younger generation.  58% of the adults surveyed said they go online for the same reasons.  This is up from the 45% they calculated last year.

The fact that most people go on the Internet for leisure time does not surprise me at all.  Not only can you do things like pay bills and send emails, but the Internet can also be an escape.  For many people almost their entire lives are spent online.  I saw a documentary where there are people that never leave their house because with the Internet, they don't have to.  I thought people's answers would have been different, such as I thought most people would have said that they send emails or go on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, but then I thought about it and the same can be true for myself.  When I'm bored I get my laptop and go on the computer.  I have no other agenda but to relieve my boredom.  While every survey and research project has a margin of error, I think this one reflects the truth about most people.