North America Online: Demographics & Usage

SUMMARY

• Who is online now in North America and how will the mix of users shift in the future?
• Who is not online and why?
• What is the demographic profile of the North American internet user?
• How many individuals and households are online now and in the future?
• What are the important trends to look out for?
• Where are users accessing the internet from?
• Why are they accessing the internet?
• What devices are being used to access the internet?
• Who is using broadband, and how many users are there?
• What are the most popular activities conducted by internet users?
• What segments of the online population are growing strongly?

Before we can measure or forecast the number of internet users, we first have to answer a basic question: What is an internet user? Research firms, analysts, consultancies and other trusted sources disagree on how to answer this seemingly simple question. Part of the meaning of an internet user has to do with how frequently the person goes online.

eMarketer identifies four general levels of internet usage:

The Department of Commerce, in its report A Nation Online September, 2001 examined internet use from a number of perspectives. For example, 43.6% of the population were using the internet at home in September 2001, yet 56.7% of the population had internet access at home. This clearly illustrates that different definitions translate to different results.

For the purposes of examining and comparing internet users on a global basis, eMarketer adopts International Telecommunication Union (ITU) estimates as its benchmark. The ITU subscribes to a definition of an internet user as someone aged 2 years old and above, who went online in the past 30 days. The Department of Commerce, in contrast, defines internet users as those 3 years or older who 'currently use' the internet.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Methodology

1. The eMarketer Difference
2. The Benefits of eMarketer's Aggregation Approach
3. "Benchmarking" and Projections

I Introduction

II Internet Users

1. Worldwide Internet Users
2. Internet Users in the US
   • Comparative Estimates: Internet Users in the US

III Internet Households

IV Online Demographics

1. Gender
2. Age
   • Kids & Teens
   • College Students
   • Baby Boomers - (b. 1946 - 1965)
   • Seniors Online
3. Income
4. Education
5. Race & Ethnic Origin
   • Market Size
   • Internet Usage
   • Online Shopping
6. Region
7. Location - Work, Home & School
   • At-Work Internet Users
   • School Access

V Usage

1. Time Online
2. Activities
   • Most Popular Web Properties
3. Online Shopping

VI Broadband Vs Dial-up

1. Broadband Market Size
2. Usage

VII Internet Access Devices: PC, TV and Mobile Devices133

1. PCs
   • By Income
   • By Gender
   • By Age
   • By Race/Ethnic Origin
   • By Education
2. TV
   • Game Consoles
3. Mobile Devices
   • Market Size
   • Demographics & Usage
   • Age
   • Gender
   • Income
   • Race
   • Mobile Internet Usage

VIII Who is Not Online and Why?

IX Canada Online

1. Internet Users
   • Comparative Estimates: Internet Users in Canada
   • Online Households
   • Broadband Vs Dial-up
2. PC Penetration
3. Online Demographics
   • Gender
   • Age
   • Income
   • Education
   • Family Type
   • Geographic Region
   • Location - Work, Home, School
4. Usage
   • Time Online
   • Activities Online
5. Online shopping
6. Mobile Internet Users and Usage

Index of Charts