One in three of today's online consumers were new to online this year-a growth of 18 million people new to the medium . More than three-quarters of consumers who go online say that being online has made their life better in some way. The word about the medium is spreading fast. Eight out of ten online consumers have suggested o family members and friends that they get online.
Online consumers report going online for a wide range of activities.
The top two activities, conducting research and communicating with friends and family, are engaged in by nine out of ten respondents. Almost eight out of ten online consumers consider the computer to be the most important invention of the 20th century. Two-thirds of online consumers say that if they were stranded on a desert island, they would prefer a computer connected to the internet to either a telephone or a television. Over half of online consumers report they have moved furniture to accommodate using their household computer. Three-quarters of online adult consumers say it is important for adults to know how to go online and use the internet.