Since the Pew Internet & American Life Project began its research in 2000, the applications available on the Internet have changed dramatically, the composition of the Internet population has changed, the ways to access the Internet have expanded, and users themselves have grown increasingly familiar with the things they can do online. As a result, the percentage of Internet users who do almost any given activity we ask about — from email to downloading music to seeking religious information online — has increased in the years since the Project has existed. In some cases, such as online banking, an activity evolved from being a relatively novel feature used by a modest segment of mostly veteran users to a widely used and valuable time-saving resource that many Americans now consider to be an indispensable feature of the Internet. In other cases, such as downloading music, an activity seemed to be at its peak in 2000, but continued to grow over time — even as there were legal attempts to thwart it.

Technology has changed

Technologies that facilitate ease of access appear to have played a considerable role in expanding the roster of activities people pursue online. Namely among them, the proliferation of high-speed access has changed the way people incorporate the Internet into their everyday lives; broadband transforms the Internet from being an occasional go-to reference and communication tool to an “always-on” information appliance.⁶⁰ While the majority of the online population still dials in to log on, the 31% of home Internet users who said they had high-speed connections in August 2003 is five times what it was in June 2000 (6%).

The impact of broadband Internet access is consistent across nearly every activity we examined for this report; those with high-speed connections at home do more online more often than dial-up users. Dramatic differences in broadband access are evident, for example, among those who download or listen to music online, create content, conduct job research, or buy products online. Looking forward, the push towards the adoption of wireless technologies promises further transformations in the integration of high-speed Internet into the daily lives of Americans. In November of this year, for example, the Federal Communications Commission designated a new portion of the airwaves to accommodate wireless Internet data transmissions in hopes that it might help provide high-speed access in rural and other underserved areas.⁶¹

Users have gained experience that changes their online behavior

As the technologies of Internet access have matured, so have its users. The findings in this report build upon previous research from The Pew Internet Project, which has shown that as Internet users gain experience online, they have increased confidence in the technology and use it to perform more significant tasks.⁶² The growing cohort of veteran users within the overall Internet population translates into more people who have explored a wide range of applications, particularly those activities requiring high levels of trust or technical skill. While most new users start with email and then move on to develop their information-searching skills, it is typically the more experienced users who attempt sophisticated activities such as completing an online transaction or creating content for the Internet.

The amount of content online has grown

A third factor influencing the growth of various Internet activities has been the increase in available content and applications. In recent years, for example, large institutions have orchestrated monumental efforts to bring educational and government materials online, commercial organizations large and small have brought their services online, and individuals have also independently accounted for much of the content posted on the Internet. And this vast amount of content and growing number applications continue to evolve; new features like blogging and online bill paying have appeared while old applications like email and search engines have been refined. In short, there is simply more to do online now than there was in 2000 and there are more ways to pursue everything online.