Publications on Internet and Technology
This section features selected Pew Research Center reports (since 2005) on the social and political impact of the internet and other technology trends. Individual project websites contain more reports related to this topic. In particular, please visit the Pew Internet & American Life Project, which reports on impact of the Internet on families, communities, work and home, daily life, education, health care, and civic and political life.
From BarackObama.com to Change.gov
Those Active in the Obama Campaign Expect to be Involved in Promoting the Administration
30 Dec 08A new survey finds that voters expect that the level of public engagement they experienced with Obama during the campaign, much of it occurring online, will continue into the early period of his new administration.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Future of the Internet III: How the Experts See It
14 Dec 08A survey of internet leaders and analysts finds they expect the phone to become a primary device for online access, artificial and virtual reality to become more embedded in everyday life, and the architecture of the internet itself to improve. But they disagree about whether this will lead to more social tolerance or better home lives.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Video Games: Adults are Players Too
7 Dec 08Video games aren’t just child’s play; more than half of adults and about a quarter of seniors are digital gamers too.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Obama's Online Opportunities
What Our Research Suggests about where President-elect Obama’s Technology Policy May Lead
4 Dec 08For a host of reasons, the new administration needs to develop a national broadband strategy but research suggests that users must be central actors in its design.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
When Technology Fails
16 Nov 08Need help in setting up that new computer? Feel frustrated when your cellphone acts up? According to a new Pew Internet Project survey, you are far from alone.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Networked Families
19 Oct 08Parents and spouses are using the internet and cell phones to create a "new connectedness" that builds on remote connections and shared internet experiences.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Networked Workers
Most Use Email, but Say Technology is a Mixed Blessing
24 Sep 08More than six in ten workers now use the internet or email on the job, but many find technology a mixed blessing.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Teens, Video Games and Civics
16 Sep 08The first nationally representative study of teen video game play and civic engagement looks at which teens are playing what games, the equipment they use, the social context of their play, and the role of parents and parental monitoring.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Online News: Should You Be Reading This at Work?
15 Sep 08The internet is allowing Americans to stay constantly informed about the news of the day -- on the company dollar - regardless of whether keeping up-to-date is important to their job.
Pew Research Center
JohnMcCain.com v. BarackObama.com
15 Sep 08With roughly seven weeks left until Election Day, which candidate has the edge online, and how so? A new study by the Project for Excellence in Journalism finds both campaigns' official sites are now quite advanced.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Cloud Computing Gains in Currency
Online Americans Increasingly Access Data and Applications Stored in Cyberspace
12 Sep 08More and more online Americans are accessing data and applications, such as email and photos, that are stored in cyberspace.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Podcasts Proliferate, But Not Mainstream
19% of Internet Users Have Downloaded a Podcast
28 Aug 08Nearly one in five internet users (19%) has downloaded a podcast to listen to or view later -- up from 12% in 2006. But podcasting has yet to become a fixture in the everyday lives of internet users, as very few download podcasts on a typical day.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
E-Patients: Chronically Ill Seek Health Information Online
26 Aug 08More Americans are making a habit of using the internet to gather health information as broadband adoption increases. But personal motivation is also a powerful factor, as those with chronic diseases are more likely to search for and make decisions about health care online.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Key News Audiences Now Blend Online and Traditional Sources
Audience Segments in a Changing News Environment
17 Aug 08For more than a decade, audiences for most traditional news sources have steadily declined and the number of people getting news online has surged. The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press’ biannual media study also finds that a growing number of news consumers mix both old and new sources. The report presents a typology that breaks Americans into four groups: Integrators, Net-Newsers, Traditionalists and the Disengaged.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Search Soars, Challenging Email as a Favorite Internet Activity
6 Aug 08The percentage of internet users who use search engines on a typical day has been steadily rising from about one-third of all users in 2002, to a new high of just under one-half (49%).
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Home Broadband Adoption 2008
Adoption Stalls For Low-Income Americans Even As Many Broadband Users Opt For Premium Services
2 Jul 08Even as many broadband users opt for premium services, access stalls among low-income Americans
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Politics Goes Viral Online
15 Jun 08Already in this campaign season, more Americans -- 46% -- have gone online to get political news and campaign information than in all of 2004.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Tracking China's Earthquake on TV and the Internet - Part II
19 May 08In a second dispatch, our Beijing correspondent reports that Chinese TV is back to being the voice of the government. Meanwhile, the internet has become a more wild-west version of itself, with a virtual explosion of content that runs the gamut from informative to creative, irresponsible, angry, maudlin…
Pew Internet & American Life Project
The Online Mall: How People Do - and Don't - Use the Internet in Making Purchasing Decisions
18 May 08A new Pew Internet Project study finds that going online helps people sort through product choices, but it is not the place where people usually close the deal for housing, cell phones or even music.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Tracking China's Earthquake on TV and the Internet
16 May 08While the internet proved to be a faster and more varied source of news about the disaster, Chinese television reports have shown an unprecedented absence of censorship: "The faces in these productions tell everything. The soldiers are young; the grief is raw; the eyes are desperate."
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Writing, Technology and Teens
24 Apr 08Most teenagers spend a considerable amount of their life composing texts, but they don’t regard most of the material they create electronically as real writing. Does e-communication help – or hurt – students’ writing skills?
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Few in China Complain
About Internet Controls
27 Mar 08Many Americans assume that China's internet users are unhappy about their government's control of the internet, but a new survey finds most Chinese say they approve of internet regulation, especially by the government.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Seeding The Cloud: What Mobile Access Means for Usage Patterns and Online Content
5 Mar 08Groups that have trailed in "traditional" internet access are in a better position to shape cyberspace as wireless devices make it more accessible.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Info on the Go: Mobile Access to Data and Information
62% of all Americans are part of a wireless, mobile population
5 Mar 08A new Pew Internet survey finds that 62% of all U.S. adults are now part of a wireless, mobile population.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
A Portrait of Early Internet Adopters: Why People First Went Online --and Why They Stayed
20 Feb 08Technology has advanced and the size and composition of the internet population has changed, but the reasons internet users go online and the things they do while there have remained remarkably constant.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Fast, Mobile Internet Access Adds to Privacy Problems
14 Feb 08Many Americans are jumping into the participatory Web without considering all the privacy implications.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Online Shopping: Convenient but Risky
13 Feb 08Two-thirds (66%) of online Americans have purchased a product online, but many worry about the safety of financial and personal data.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
The Internet's Broader Role in Campaign 2008
11 Jan 08The internet is living up to its potential as a major source for news about the presidential races. Nearly a quarter of Americans say they regularly learn something about the campaign from the internet, almost double the percentage at a comparable point in 2004.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Online Video Audience Surges
9 Jan 08A new survey finds a sharp rise in the number of viewers of YouTube and other internet video sites over the past year. Nearly half of online adults now say they have visited such sites.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
In Search of Solutions: How People use the Internet, Libraries, and Government Agencies to Find Help
31 Dec 07A new survey challenges the assumption that libraries are no longer relevant, although the internet is now the most consulted information source.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Teen Content Creators
19 Dec 07Some 93% of teens use the internet, and more of them than ever are treating it as a venue for social interaction -- a place where they can share creations, tell stories, and interact with others.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Digital Footprints: Online Identity Management and Search in the Age of Transparency
16 Dec 07Unlike footprints left in the sand, our online data trails often stick around long after the tide has gone out. And internet users have become more aware of information that remains connected to their name online.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Immigration Takes Center Stage at GOP YouTube Debate
Public Says It Prefers Questions From "Regular" People
29 Nov 07In a format the public says it prefers -- "regular people," not journalists, posing the questions -- immigration emerged as the hot-button issue. Were the candidates' answers in sync with GOP voters' opinions?
Pew Research Center
Why We Don't Know Enough About Broadband in the U.S.
Networks May Be Global but Measurement Must Be Local -- and Government Agencies Need Help to Do a Better Job at Collecting It
14 Nov 07Many key questions about the information society require fine-grained, publicly available data about broadband deployment and use at the local level -- but government agencies need more help in gathering it.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Parents, Teens and Technology
24 Oct 07Family members tend to use the same kinds of gadgets, but teenagers find them more useful.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Broadband: What's All the Fuss About?
The impacts of high-speed connections extend beyond access to information to active participation in the online commons
17 Oct 07The impacts of high-speed connections extend beyond access to information to active participation in the online commons.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
When Strangers Contact Teens Online
Most Such Experiences Are Neither Scary Nor Uncomfortable, but Certain Traits or Activities Can Invite More Interactions with Unknown Persons
15 Oct 07While the number of teens made uncomfortable by an online experience with someone they do not know is relatively small, certain traits and activities are more likely to attract interactions with unknown individuals, whether unwanted or not.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
E-patients with a Disability or Chronic Disease
9 Oct 07Just half of adults with chronic conditions use the internet; but once online, they are avid consumers of health information.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Hobbyists Online
The great majority of online Americans now use the internet to pursue their leisure-time interests
19 Sep 07The Internet has become America's playground with the great majority of those online now using the web to pursue leisure-time interests from genealogy and collecting to gambling.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
The News You Choose
How User-Driven Content Differs from Mainstream Media
12 Sep 07In a world without journalists, or at least without editors, what would the news agenda look like? A one-week study of a new crop of user-driven news sites by the Project for Excellence in Journalism suggests that the news agenda would be more diverse, more transitory, and often drawn from a very different and perhaps controversial list of sources.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Fred Thompson's Online Campaign Is in Full Swing
At his website, I'mwithFred.com, the candidate-to-be is already busy reaching out to supporters
4 Sep 07When he formally enters the 2008 race this week, former Sen. Fred Thompson can behave in all ways like a presidential candidate. But on his "testing the waters" website, I'mwithFred.com, he's already been busy reaching out to supporters.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Why it will Be Hard to Close the Broadband Divide
1 Aug 07The U.S. trails behind many countries in adopting broadband but narrowing the gap will be difficult.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Online Videos Go Mainstream
Most Internet Users -- and Three-in-Four Young Adults -- Now Watch Them
25 Jul 07Widespread deployment of broadband and a dramatic promotion push by content providers has helped pave the way for mainstream audiences to adopt online video viewing.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Campaign Internet Videos: "Sopranos" Spoof vs. "Obama Girl"
Made for the Web but Viewed More on TV than Online
12 Jul 07They originate on the internet, but more people are viewing them on TV than online.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Are Candidate Web Sites Propaganda or News?
12 Jul 07Through their official websites, the campaigns themselves are challenging the press as a destination for news.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
China's Online Population Explosion
What It May Mean for the Internet Globally...and for U.S. Users
12 Jul 07The influx of tens of millions of new online participants each year can be expected to have far-reaching consequences for the people of China, for its government and economy, and for the United States and the world.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Mean Teens Online: Forget Sticks and Stones, They've Got Mail
Older Girls and Social Networkers Are Most Likely Targets of Harassment via the Internet
27 Jun 07Forget sticks and stones, today's teenagers have got the web at their command and about a third of those online tell a new Pew Internet survey that they have been targets of annoying and potentially menacing online activities.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Don't Blame Me: It's the Phone's Fault!
Many Internet and Cell Phone Users Find Devices and Applications Too Complicated or Hardly Worth the Trouble
20 Jun 07Many internet and cell phone users find devices and applications too complicated or hardly worth the trouble. Here are some ideas to address those problems.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
A Spiritual Network in Cyberspace
Beliefnet.com Proves a Successful Model for Combining Journalism and Networking
11 Jun 07If Beliefnet is not exactly a household name, it is an interesting experiment in online journalism. For one thing, its own turbulent history in some ways reflects the trajectory of the internet itself. For another, the strategy it has settled on -- a subject specific site that offers interactivity, networking and journalistic even-handedness -- may offer one working blueprint for the rapidly evolving field of Web information.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Adjusting to a Diet of Spam
23 May 07As more of the stuff finds its way into Americans' personal and workplace email accounts, internet users find it easier to digest.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
A Typology of Information and Communication Technology Users
7 May 07The advent of Web 2.0 invites users to participate in the commons of cyberspace. Yet little is known about which segments of the population are inclined to make robust use of the new technologies and which aren't. Using data from a new survey, the Pew Internet & American Life project has developed a typology of people's relationship to information and communications technology.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Wikipedia: When in Doubt, Multitudes Seek It Out
The online, citizen-generated encyclopedia is especially popular among the well-educated and the college-aged
24 Apr 07The online, citizen-generated encyclopedia draws more visitors on a typical day than internet shopping, dating, travel booking, chat rooms or auctions -- especially among the well-educated and college-aged.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Teens, Privacy & Online Social Networks
Managing online identities and personal information in the age of MySpace
18 Apr 07A new survey and a series of focus groups, conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, study teens' online management of their personal information on social networking websites. The study suggests that internet life poses some potential risks for online teens, e.g. 32% (and 43% of social-networking teens) have been contacted by complete strangers.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Cruising for News: The State of Digital Journalism
PEJ's Annual State of the Media Report Provides an Interactive Assessment
5 Apr 07The Project for Excellence in Journalism's State of the Media Report provides an interactive tool to help users understand news options available on the Web.
Pew Research Center
Latinos Online
They're a lot less likely to use the internet, but lower education levels and limited English ability largely explain the gap between Hispanics and non-Hispanics in the U.S.
14 Mar 07A new joint report from the Pew Hispanic Center and the Pew Internet & American Life Project finds that low levels of education and limited English ability largely explain the gap in internet use between Hispanics and non-Hispanics living in the U.S.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
The World of Wireless Widens
A Third of Internet Users Now Opt for "Relentless Connectivity"
26 Feb 07Some 34% of internet users have logged onto the internet using a wireless connection. Users of wireless access show deeper engagement with cyberspace -- at least when focusing on two basic online activities, email and news.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Cell Phone Counter-Revolution
State legislators seek to bar electronic distractions
22 Feb 07To keep lawmakers focused on debate -- and limit lobbyists' influence -- statehouses from coast to coast are restricting cell phones, instant messaging and use of those mini-computers found under the thumbs of compulsive e-mailers on the floors of state legislatures.
Stateline.org
Election Newshounds Speak Up
Newspaper, TV and Internet Fans Tell How and Why They Differ
6 Feb 07If you ask political news consumers what they like most about their favorite platform for news, a vivid image of a typical TV, newspaper, and internet political news consumer will emerge from their own comments. All three media forms win praise from their primary fans for their convenience but the context for its definition varies.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Tagging Play
Forget Dewey and His Decimals, Internet Users Are Revolutionizing the Way We Classify Information - and Make Sense of It
31 Jan 07New internet features let users organize digital material their own way.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Election 2006 Online
The Internet Is Creating a New Class of Web-Savvy Political Activists
17 Jan 07A new poll finds the number of Americans who got most of their information about the 2006 campaign on the internet doubled from the 2002 mid-term election, and many used the web to become politically involved.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
A Portrait of "Generation Next"
How Young People View Their Lives, Futures and Politics
9 Jan 07A new generation has come of age, shaped by an unprecedented revolution in technology and dramatic events both at home and abroad. They are Generation Next, the cohort of young adults who have grown up with personal computers, cell phones and the internet and are now taking their place in a world where the only constant is rapid change.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Social Networking Websites and Teens
Over half (55%) of online teens have web profiles; MySpace dominates networking world.
7 Jan 07In the past 5 years, social networking sites have rocketed from a niche activity in to a phenomenon that engages tens of millions of internet users.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
There's a Robot on the Line for You
This Election Year, Voters Were Bombarded with Recorded Telephone Messages
20 Dec 06Nearly two-thirds of registered voters (64%) received recorded telephone messages in the final stages of the 2006 mid-term election. These so-called "robo-calls" were the second most popular way for campaigns and political activists to reach voters, trailing only direct mail.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Internet Users In Search of a Home
The number of Americans who have looked online for information about a place to live has doubled since 2000
14 Dec 06More than a quarter of all adults in the U.S. -- and more than half of 18-29 year olds -- have looked online for information about housing, double the overall number of Americans who had done so in 2000.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Podcasts Proliferate
Some 12% of Internet Users Now Download Video, Audio and Text At Least Occasionally
27 Nov 06As the array of individuals and mainstream media institutions providing podcasts has expanded rapidly -- as well as the types of digital multimedia content available from the internet -- so too has the audience for downloadable video, images and text.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Virtual Space is the Place
A Ticket Out of This World Is Just a Click Away
27 Nov 06About 72 million people have used the internet to explore other areas, a 33% increase over 2004 when an estimated 54 million did so. On a typical day, more than five million people are taking virtual tours in cyberspace, up from roughly two million in 2004.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Seeking Science in Cyberspace
A Pew Internet/Exploratorium project finds wide use of the internet by science seekers
20 Nov 06A Pew Internet/Exploratorium project finds nearly 9-in-10 online users have researched a scientific topic or concept on the internet. Nearly three quarters (71%) of internet users say they turn to the internet for science news and information because it is convenient.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
The Internet and Politics: No Revolution, Yet
6 Nov 06Political fund-raising, campaigning, blogging and YouTubing are all on the rise, but they're still a small part of the election scene.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Seeking Health Online
Most of the millions of Americans who turn to the web for health information are pleased by what they find - though few check the quality check of what they find
1 Nov 06Most of the millions of Americans who turn to the web for health information are pleased by what they find -- though few check the quality of the information.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Riding the Waves of "Web 2.0"
More than a buzzword, but still not easily defined
5 Oct 06This Pew Internet report provides a short history and description of the catch-all Internet buzzword "Web 2.0" and examines the Web applications it describes.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
The Future of the Internet II
Technology thinkers and stakeholders assess the future social, political, and economic impact of the internet.
28 Sep 06742 top tech thinkers and stakeholders see expanding influence -- and some scary scenarios.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Digital 'Natives' Invade the Workplace
Young people may be newcomers to the world of work, but it's their bosses who are immigrants into the digital world
28 Sep 06Newcomers to the world of work may find that their bosses are strangers in the digital world
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Politics in Cyberspace
As Mid-Term Elections Loom, a Record Number of Americans Look to the Net for Information and Guidance
20 Sep 06With mid-term elections approaching, record numbers of Americans are turning to the internet for information on politics and campaigns.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Cable News: A Maturing Platform with an Uncertain Future
Industry leaders discuss what lies ahead for cable news
14 Aug 06A Pew Project for Excellence in Journalism roundtable brings together a panel of cable news industry leaders. Some predict the medium will adapt to the changing news consumer while others believe dramatic innovations are necessary.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
News Magazine Roundtable
The State of the News Media 2006
8 Aug 06In this Project for Excellence in Journalism roundtable discussion, magazine industry experts see change as not only inevitable, but essential if the publications are to continue to survive. But they disagree about just what those changes should entail.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Now in its Adolescence, the Internet Evolves into a Supplementary News Source
1 Aug 06Now, as the internet enters its second decade as a potent new information technology, a study of America's news consumption puts that adolescent's role in the media family into sharper focus and clearer context.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Online Papers Modestly Boost Newspaper Readership
30 Jul 06The biennial news consumption survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press finds that newspapers, which have seen their audience decline in recent decades, are now stemming further losses with the help of their online editions.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Can the 'Dead Tree' Newspaper Survive?
A Roundtable Discussion among industry experts
26 Jul 06In this, the third of the Pew Project for Excellence in Journalism roundtables on the future of the news media, six experts from inside the newspaper industry discuss its future, its fate, and the changes it must make to survive.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
A Blogger Portrait
The Internet Has Empowered a New Class of Commentators Eager to Share Personal - Much More Than Political - Views
19 Jul 06A new, national phone survey of bloggers finds that most are focused on describing their personal experiences to a relatively small audience of readers and that only a small proportion focus their coverage on politics, media, government, or technology.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Surfing to the Bank
14 Jun 06Some 63 million Americans now let their keyboards do their banking, as online financial housekeeping has burgeoned along with internet use generally. But the "trust gap" may limit further growth, especially among less financially experienced internet users.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Home Broadband Goes Mainstream
Fast internet connections are going mainstream with user-generated content now coming from all sorts of subscribers
28 May 06The number of Americans with fast internet connections at home has jumped from 60 million in March 2005 to 84 million in March 2006.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
The Cell Phone Challenge to Polling
15 May 06While Americans who rely solely on a cell phone for telephone service differ in their demographics from land-line subscribers, a new study finds that so far the results obtained by surveys that exclude cell-only users are not significantly affected.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Finding Answers Online In Sickness and In Health
2 May 06Americans rely on the internet for important health information now more than ever and many say it's their most important source of help when illness strikes.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
When Facing a Tough Decision, 60 Million Americans Now Seek the Internet's Help
The Internet's Growing Role in Life's Major Moments
19 Apr 06Whether buying a home or a car, picking a college or a stock, or seeking medical advice, more and more people turn to the web.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Are "Wired Seniors" Sitting Ducks?
11 Apr 06Older internet users, even relative newcomers to the senior ranks, may be easy targets for viruses, spyware and the like. Younger internet users take more chances online, but they also take more precautions.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Cell Phone Society
Many Americans now can't live without them - but sometimes they can't live with them.
4 Apr 06Many Americans now can't live without them - but sometimes they can't live with them.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
50 Million Americans Get News Online Every Day
22 Mar 06Many broadband users now say the internet is a main news source, surpassing even TV and papers, according to the Pew Internet Project.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Families Drawn Together By Communication Revolution
As Family Forms Change, Bonds Remain Strong
21 Feb 06A Social Trends Report
Pew Research Center
Truly a World Wide Web
Globe Goes Digital
21 Feb 06Computer usage and internet access have gone global. In many countries the growth has been fastest among people older than 50, according to a new Pew Global Attitudes report.
Pew Global Attitudes Project
Not Looking for Love
Romance in America
13 Feb 06Hold the heart-shaped candy; most singles in America aren't actively seeking romance.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
The Strength of Internet Ties
25 Jan 06The internet and email expand and strengthen the social ties that people maintain in the offline world, according to a new report by the Pew Internet & American Life Project.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Trends 2005
20 Jan 05The first publication of the Pew Research Center explores American public opinion and values, religion and public life, media, the Internet, Hispanics, the states and global opinion.
Pew Research Center