State of the Internet 2009:Pew Internet Project Findings and Implications for Libraries
10.02.09Mary MaddenPew Internet & American Life Project
Presented to: New York Library Council
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More internet users = more stuff on cats
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LOLCats speak up!
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Cats on Twitter: 140 meows or less
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social mobilemobile
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of each other
(via Doc Searls)
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Pew Internet: “Serving data since 1999”
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Overall:
79% of adults online
-up from 14% in 1995
-46% in 2000
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Broadband = 63%
Dial-up = 7%
(April 2009)
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Teens (12-17)
->up from 73% (2000)
93% online (2007)
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Online activity pyramid: by generation
The vast majority of online adults from all generations uses email and search engines.
While there are always exceptions, older generations typically do not engage with the internet past e-commerce.
The majority of teens and Gen Y use SNS, but fewer maintain blogs. Online adults older than Gen X are less likely to use SNS.
Generations Online in 2009
Basic online entertainment (online videos, playing games)
E-commerce (online shopping, banking, and travel reservations)
Research and information gathering (product research, news, health and religious information searches)
Email and search
Active engagement with social media
(visit SNS, create SNS profile, create blogs)
More advanced online entertainment
(download videos, music and podcasts)
More advanced communication and passive social media use
(instant messaging, visit SNS, read blogs)
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Hype Wrangler: Reigning it in with data
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Still stuck in the niches? Yes and no…
Podcast Downloading:
• Grew from 7% in 2006 to 19% in 2008, but just 3% download podcasts on a typical day. Remains an early adopter profile of mostly young men
Second Life and Virtual Worlds:
• Worth the investment? Depends on what you’re trying to do and who you’re trying to reach…NEW DATA: Just 4% of internet users have visited virtual worlds like Second Life.
Twitter and status updating:
• 11% of online adults as of April 2009 and growing fast (NEW Sept. data TK). Now valued at $1BN. Many regard it as a sea-change technology moving search to the real-time Web.
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Mobile access to the “cloud”
69% of online Americans have used “cloud computing”
applications whose functionality is located on the web.
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The Mobile Difference: Two Groups
Stationary Media Majority
61%
Motivated by Mobility
39%
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56% of all Americans have accessed the internet by wireless means:
39% of all Americans have used a laptop computer to go online wirelessly.
32% of all Americans have gone online with a mobile device –a cell phone or other handheld device to check email, IM or access the internet for info.
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*NEW DATA*
As of September 2009, 3% of adults in the U.S. now own an e-book reader.
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social mobilemobile
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More than ever, people will need:
• Trusted “curators of content”
• Help assessing the authority of info
• Guidance navigating copyright and privacy
• Non-commercial spaces—online and offline
Like the internet, libraries should be “porous” and “everywhere” (via Paul Holdengraber)
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Thank you!
Mary Madden
Senior Research Specialist
Pew Internet & American Life Project
1615 L Street NW
Suite 700
Washington, DC 20036
202-419-4500