We have often seen Clay Aiken with his laptop in tow.  It seems to be a vital part of his life.  Just like many adults, he seems to count on the computer to help him in his every day life.  But, does Clay use the internet to do research and talk to his friends on FaceBook?

Harris Interactive, one of the world’s leading custom market research firms, just published the results of a poll about internet use.  The results are very interesting.

The poll found that adult Internet users are now spending an average of 13 hours a week online.  Of course, usage varies greatly among people; 20% of adult Internet users are online for only two hours or less a week while 14% are spending 24 or more hours a week online.

Over the years the average hours spent online have increased from 7 hours in 1999.  In 2007, it increased to 11 hours.  Last year, after the financial crisis broke and before the presidential election, Internet users were online for 14 hours a week, double what it was from 1999 to 2002.

Other interesting findings in this Harris Poll include:

·         The age groups that spend the most time online are those aged 30-39 (18 hours) and those aged 25-29 (17 hours) and 40-49 (17 hours).

·         50% of all those online bought something on the Internet in the last month.  This includes 62% of those aged 30-39 and 56% of those aged 40-49.

·         The number of adults online, now 184 million (80%), has not changed significantly since 2008 and 2007.  This includes those online at work, at home, at school or any other locations.

·         However, the number of adults who are online at home has increased to 76% this year, and 75% last year, compared to 66% in 2005.

There are many reasons for the increase in the number of hours spent online.  According to Harris, it probably reflects a growing ability to use the Internet, an increase in sites and applications, increased TV watching on-line and increased purchasing online.  They also suggest that hours online may have increased because of the recession.  Going online is free while going out usually costs money.

When I read the results of this poll, I decided that no Clay fans were included in the poll.  I know that all fans are not fanatics when using the internet, but I also know that many are on-line checking more than one board each day.

Does your time on the internet fit into the norm as stated by Harris or do you spend more or less time on the internet?

And, what about Clay? Do you think he fits the norm?

According to their site:

This Harris Poll was conducted by telephone within the United States July 7 and 12 and October 13 and 18, 2009 among 2,029 adults (aged 18 and over). Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region, number of adults in the household, number of phone lines in the household were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population.

Known widely for the Harris Poll and for pioneering innovative research methodologies, Harris offers expertise in a wide range of industries. Harris Interactive serves clients in over 215 countries and territories throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. For more information, please visit www.harrisinteractive.com.