New eDemographics Report Reveals Major Shifts In U.S. Online Usage

<b><small>Women now account for 37.1 million of all U.S. adult users, representing 49% of the total active online population, according to eMarketer's eDemographics & Usage Patterns Report. The report

Friday, September 22nd 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Women now account for 37.1 million of all U.S. adult users, representing 49% of the total active online population, according to eMarketer's eDemographics & Usage Patterns Report. The report also states that by year 2003, the number of American women online will increase to 78.8 million, accounting for 51%, as men online will grow to 75 million representing only 49% of total active adults. This ratio will mirror that of women in the overall population -- outnumbering men both online and offline.

Women now account for 37.1 million of all U.S. adult users, representing 49% of the total active online population, according to eMarketer's eDemographics & Usage Patterns Report. The report also states that by year 2003, the number of American women online will increase to 78.8 million, accounting for 51%, as men online will grow to 75 million representing only 49% of total active adults. This ratio will mirror that of women in the overall population -- outnumbering men both online and offline.

Amongst minority groups, Asian households outpace all other race/ethnic groups in the percentage of households online. According to the report, 54% of Asian households are actively online compared to 39% of white households, 33% of Hispanic households and 30% of black households.

More Seniors Online

Newly established online services and communities are partly responsible for the rise in internet usage by senior citizens. Seniors (age 55 and older) currently have the highest projected growth rate amongst all age groups. Formerly known as the group least likely to be online, seniors have increased their online presence to a 38% increase since last year. By year 2003, eMarketer estimates there will be 17.3 seniors online representing 11% of the total online population.

Key Findings of the eDemographics Report:

Average income of online households will decrease as the number of lower-income families joining the net increase.

Income, not race, shapes the digital divide.
Workplace net users access the internet for longer periods than home-based users.
Net users are scaling down consumption of other media in lieu of the Internet.

By year-end 2000, only 38 percent of the world's 197.6 million active internet users will come from the U.S. As the growth of new users in the U.S. is gradually slowing down, the rest of the world is gaining a larger presence, with Western Europe and Asia leading the way.

"Waning net dominance in the U.S. will be reflected in more diverse content and globalized services," states Claudine Thompson, Senior eMarketer Analyst and author of the eDemograhics report. "Online businesses will undoubtedly benefit from a wider consumer base, but will also be faced with increased competition and delivery concerns."

The eDemographics Report offers a complete analysis of the American online population, aggregating research data from a variety of sources, including Strategis, Jupiter Communications, CommerceNet, Nielsen, Media Metrix, Intelliquest, Cyber Dialogue, IDC and the US Census Bureau. The report contains 214 pages filled with 343 charts and graphs.