{"id":96832,"date":"2005-07-27T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2005-07-27T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/2005\/07\/27\/part-1-basic-demographics-of-online-teens-and-their-families\/"},"modified":"2024-04-14T04:14:21","modified_gmt":"2024-04-14T09:14:21","slug":"part-1-basic-demographics-of-online-teens-and-their-families","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2005\/07\/27\/part-1-basic-demographics-of-online-teens-and-their-families\/","title":{"rendered":"Part 1: Basic Demographics of Online Teens and Their Families"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction: Demographics<\/h3>\n\n

According to the latest Pew Internet & American Life Project telephone survey fielded in October and November 2004, 87% of American youth aged 12 to 17 go online.[2.numoffset=”2″ Throughout this report, we refer to the age cohort of 12- to-17-year-olds as \u201cteenagers.\u201d The standard telephone surveys conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project involve those age 18 and older, so we do not include them in our surveys of younger Americans.] That represents roughly 21 million teens who use the internet in some aspect of their lives. The online teen population has increased by roughly 24% since we last asked this question in a survey in December 2000.[3. Lenhart, A. Rainie, L. & Lewis, O., Teenage Life Online: The rise of the instant-message generation and the Internet’s impact on friendships and family relationships<\/em>, Pew Internet & American Life Project, June 21, 2001. https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/PPF\/r\/36\/report_display.asp<\/a>.] On the flip side, 13% of American teenagers do not use the Internet. About half (47%) of teens who say they do not go online have been online before but have since dropped off.<\/p>\n\n

\"Demographics<\/figure>\n<\/p>\n\n

Parents of teens are also much more likely to go online than the average American adult. Some 80% of parents who have teenagers go online, compared to 66% of all American adults. Parents with teenagers who use the internet have even higher levels of connectivity, with 84% of them reporting internet use.<\/p>\n\n

African-Americans are the least likely to be online.<\/h3>\n\n

\"Demographics<\/figure>\n<\/p>\n\n

In our current survey, white[4.numoffset=”4″ Race and ethnicity in this survey is asked of parents. The question reads as follows: \u201cWhat is your race or ethnicity?\u201d While we extrapolate this race report to the child, it is possible that in certain circumstances that some youth do not self-identify with the same race or ethnicity as their parent.] and English-speaking Hispanic[5. The Pew Internet Project conducts its surveys in English. Thus, anyone not able to complete a survey in English would be excluded from the study.] teens are more likely than African-American teens to report going online. Among whites, 87% of teens say they go online. Similarly, 89% of Hispanic youth in this study say they go online. By comparison, 77% of African-American youth go online. All three of these groups are more likely to be online than the overall population of American adults, of whom, 66% go online. Teens of all races are also more likely to be online than their parents. Overall, 80% of parents go online, and 84% of parents of online teens go online themselves. When broken down by race, 82% of white parents and 81% of English-speaking Hispanic parents go online. By stark contrast, just 62% of African-American parents go online. In all cases, however, parents are more likely to go online than non-parents, regardless of race or ethnicity.<\/p>\n\n

Most teens have logged on by the 7th grade.<\/h3>\n\n

Starting Junior High seems to be the moment when most teens who were not previously online get connected. About 60% of the 6th<\/sup> graders in our sample reported using the Internet. By 7th<\/sup> grade, this number jumps to 82% of teens who are online. From there, the percentage of internet users in the teen population for each grade climbs steadily before topping out at 94% for all 11th<\/sup> and 12th<\/sup> graders. Much of the lag among 6th<\/sup> graders appears to come from boys. Less than half (44%) of 6th<\/sup> grade boys report going online, compared to 79% of 6th<\/sup> grade girls. <\/p>\n\n

\"Percentage<\/figure>\n<\/p>\n\n

Older teens, aged 15-17, go online more frequently than younger teens. Some 59% of wired teens aged 15-17 go online once a day or more, while 43% of younger teens report going online that frequently. By comparison, 11% of 12- to 14-year-olds say they go online every few weeks, compared to just 6% of older teens.<\/p>\n\n

Only 6% of 6th<\/sup> graders go online several times a day compared to one-quarter (25%) of 8th<\/sup> graders and close to 2 in 5 (39%) 12th<\/sup> graders. On the other side of the use spectrum, one in five (20%) of 6th<\/sup> graders go online just every few weeks compared to a mere 8% of 8th<\/sup> graders and 5% of high school seniors.<\/p>\n\n

Teens from the poorest families lag behind.<\/h3>\n\n

As is the case with adult use of the internet, teens from the lowest-income families are the least likely to report use of the internet. Teens from households earning under $30,000 per year are less likely than any other income group to report internet use. Less than three-quarters (73%) of teens from these families use the internet. By contrast, 90% of teens from families earning more than $30,000 a year go online. At the highest income levels, households earning more than $75,000 a year, 93% of teens go online.<\/p>\n\n

\"Demographics<\/figure>\n<\/p>\n\n

Teens with married parents are significantly more likely to go online than teens of single parents. Eighty-nine percent of teens with parents who are married go online compared to 76% of teens with parents who are divorced, separated, widowed, or who have never been married.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Introduction: Demographics According to the latest Pew Internet & American Life Project telephone survey fielded in October and November 2004, 87% of American youth aged 12 to 17 go online.[2.numoffset=”2″ Throughout this report, we refer to the age cohort of 12- to-17-year-olds as \u201cteenagers.\u201d The standard telephone surveys conducted by the Pew Internet & American 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