Eighty-seven percent of American 12- to 17-year-olds use the Internet, an increase from 73 percent five years ago, according to a survey.
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Among other findings, the survey shows that the highest percentage of Web-surfing youths, or 89 percent, go online to send or read e-mail. Nearly as many, 84 percent, use it to research movies, televi-sion shows, or other aspects of popular culture, followed by those who seek it out for online games, reading the news, sending or receiving instant messages, or researching schools and colleges.
The survey was conducted by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, which is supported by the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan think tank in Washington. Pollsters questioned 1,100 youths and their parents by telephone in October and November of 2004. The survey has a margin of error of 4 percentage points.
