Turns out a lot of us are going online for information about the recession.
We're also going online to escape the recession.
A study released today by the Pew Internet and American Life Projectsays seven out of ten Americans are using the internet for economic purposes-to follow their own finances and to find out the latest economic news.
Of those seven, five are also going online to escape financial stress.
"We found that online economic users relied heavily on online sources to make sense of the economic crisis," the Pew report says. But most of those same users also went online to play music or videos or engage in other activities which "have taken their minds off of their economic circumstances." It's even more pronounced for younger "online economic users." Nine out of 10 between the ages of 18 and 29 use the internet as an escape from financial worries.
Apparently we're all doing it.
The study says going online to relax "is a near-universal activity among online economic users, regardless of whether they have been personally impacted by the recession or not." The Pew study found "few significant differences" between internet users based on race, education or income. The only difference found between men and women is no surprise: more women (38 percent) like to relax by chatting online than men do (27 percent). Frankly, I'm surprised the men's number is even that high.
UPDATE ON MOM V. THE WHITE HOUSE
My mother got another email from the White Houseyesterday. Once again, the email did not answer her original question about the President's Oval Office desk. This time the email came from senior advisor David Axelrod, asking my mom (aka "Dear Friend") to tune in to watch the President's healthcare speech last night.
"Tonight, the President will clearly explain what health reform means to Americans," the email says, "both those who have insurance now and those who don’t. He will also specify what health reform doesn’t mean — clearing up the confusion that has been fomented by the special interests and defenders of the status quo. Tune into to the speech tonight..."
I'm afraid my mother is going to put a spam filter on the President.
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