Increased Internet Usage
June 30, 2009 by Anna Farmery
Filed under Social Media
Do you spend more time on the internet? I know I do. My usage has changed drastically from purely gaining information to entertainment, communication and of course yes, still information.
Social networking has been a large part of my usage and a post over at MediaPost shows some interesting internet research
- In the past three years, the average U.S. adult has nearly doubled their daily use of the Internet as the average U.S. adult spent 2.1 hours per day online in 2006, compared to 3.8 hours in 2008
- The Internet now represents 32.5% of the typical “media day” for all U.S. adults when compared to daily exposure to newspaper, radio, TV and outdoor advertising.
- Even those who are considered heavy newspaper readers spend about as much time online today as the typical U.S. adult. According to the report, heavy newspaper readers, those who spend more than an hour per day reading, currently spend 3.7 hours per day online. In 2006 the Internet represented only 18.4% of a heavy newspaper reader’s “media day,” but today it represents 28.4%.
The question is whether the increased usage has improved our lives or has it reduced our quality of 
life? In many ways the internet has enhanced my world, yet I am very conscious that the internet should not replace my real world life. I try and balance my face to face intereaction with friends with my virtual relationships. However the balance becomes harder and harder to achieve….
