The Pew Internet and American Life Project conducted a national telephone survey between March 12, 2003, and May 20, 2003, to discover the extent of Internet usage and types of online activities engaged in by U.S. adults. The survey conductors discovered that more than 53 million U.S. adults, or 44% of the U.S. adult Internet users, have used the Internet to accomplish a number of objectives, including sharing their thoughts in chat rooms, responding to others through email, posting pictures, and sharing files. Moreover, about 13% of the respondents said that they have their own Websites, and about 7% of the respondents said that they have Web cameras running on their computers to let other Internet users view live pictures of them and their surroundings. Only 2% of the respondents said they kept Web diaries or blogs.

By the end of 2004, an updated study showed that eight million users in the United States had created blogs, and that blog readership increased by 58% in 2004 to encompass 27% of U.S. Internet users. It is expected that this growth rate has not diminished significantly and the number of active bloggers has grown substantially.

A 2006 study released on April 26 shows that Internet penetration has now reached 73% (up from 66% in the 2005 survey) of American adults. The respondents said that improvements in e-commerce are noticeable, as are the online opportunities to pursue hobbies and personal ­interests.

See Also: Blog; Chat Rooms; Electronic Mail or Email; Internet; Online File Swapping.