A year ago, when she lived in Grand Rapids, Mich., Trish Hazzard mainly used the Internet to e-mail friends and family. But when she relocated to Bloomington last summer, Hazzard's life got a whole lot busier — and so did her Internet usage. The Net has become a virtual lifeline for her. Daily, she e-mails friends back in Michigan and family scattered around the country to share bits and pieces of her new life. She now pays bills online. She started banking online.... For Hazzard, the Internet is no longer just neat, whiz-bang technology — it's practically a necessity. Her life mirrors a new national study, due for release today, that shows millions of Americans becoming more active and serious Internet users. They no longer look upon the Internet with starry-eyed infatuation, according to the study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project. They see it as a practical tool that helps them accomplish some of life's more important tasks at work and home.

Read More