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Internet Has Major Role in US Citizens` Life

Almost half of the Internet users in the United States went online to seek help regarding major life decisions. Finding a college for your Kids, or even searching for a new place to live, are such dilemmas the internet helped solve. Survey results published on Wednesday show that the Internet is becoming increasingly important to users in their everyday lives, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, a non-profit group which conducted the survey.

Some 45 percent of Internet users, or an estimated 60 million Americans, said the Internet helped them make big decisions or face a major moment in their life during the previous two years, the survey found. That was up from 40 percent of Internet users who answered the same survey questions in 2002. Specifically, the survey asked 2,201 adults last month if the Internet played a crucial or important role in making at least one of eight major life decisions.

An estimated 21 million Americans turned to the Internet when seeking more training for a career, while 17 million used it to choose a school for a family member or to help another person with a major illness, the Pew Internet group said. Some 16 million Americans used the Internet when buying a car or making a major investment or financial decision, it said. An estimated 10 million Americans used the Internet when looking for a new place to live, 8 million when changing jobs, and 7 million when dealing with their own major illness or health condition, the survey said.