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A Nation Online: How Americans Are Expanding Their Use of the Internet

By the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration
National Telecommunications and Information Administration

Few technologies have spread as quickly, or become so widely used, as computers and the Internet.  These information technologies are rapidly becoming common fixtures of modern social and economic life, opening opportunities and new avenues for many Americans.  A Nation Online: How Americans Are Expanding Their Use of the Internet shows the rapidly growing use of new information technologies across all demographic groups and geographic regions.  Not only are many more Americans using the Internet and computers at home, they are also using them at work, school, and other locations for an expanding variety of purposes. 

In the last few years, Americans’ use of the Internet and computers has grown substantially. 

*The rate of growth of Internet use in the United   States is currently two million new Internet users per month.

*More than half of the nation is now online.  In September 2001, 143 million Americans (about 54 percent of the population) were using the Internet — an increase of 26 million in 13 months.  In September 2001, 174 million people (or 66 percent of the population) in the United States used computers. 

Children and teenagers use computers and the Internet more than any other age group.

*Ninety percent of children between the ages of 5 and 17 (or 48 million) now use computers. Seventy-five percent of 14-17 year olds and 65 percent of 10-13 year olds use the Internet.

*Family households with children under the age of 18 are more likely to access the Internet (62 percent) than family households with no children (53 percent), and non-family households (35 percent).

* Computers at schools substantially narrow the gap in computer usage rates for children from high and low income families. Internet use is increasing for people regardless of income, education, age, races, ethnicity, or gender. 

With more than half of all Americans using computers and the Internet, we are truly a nation online.  At work, schools, and libraries, as well as at home, the Internet is being used by a greater number of Americans.

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United Methodist Resources

By Chuck Russell

As the Body of Christ, we are called to carry on Jesus' mission to seek and save the lost.  This great commission, given to us by Christ himself, lies at the heart of who we are as disciples.  The question is how can we engage our digital culture with God's timeless message?

We have collected a host of web evangelism resources including: church websites using the medium to promote evangelism, instructional web evangelism guides, examples of evangelistic sermons, and evangelism related websites.  These resources help to cast a clear vision for how the web can be used to further our great commission. 

We are aware that the great hope of humanity is the salvation which can only come from a living relationship with our risen Lord and Savior. This is the message we carry into the world, and though it has not changed in 5,000 years of recorded history, the mediums through which it is transmitted are constantly evolving. 

Today we find ourselves in a digital culture.  Surrounded by cell phones, pda's, ATM machines, personal computers, and hundreds of other electronic innovations, our senses are often overloaded by the sheer scope of information available to be processed. 

We must engage the communications mediums of the day, learn to use them effectively, and develop strategic approaches to sharing our faith with the world
So how does the church begin to speak into this crowded  environment? 

Just as in previous era's we must engage the communications mediums of the day, learn to use them effectively, and develop strategic approaches to sharing our faith with the world. 

Much progress has been made in this regard in worship.  Innovative churches are coming to understand that communicating with today's media savvy youth and young adults, requires worship experiences which incorporate video, contemporary music, and interactivity.  These services are in and of themselves evangelistic in nature.  The ability for youth and young adults to connect with the message is greatly enhanced by creating an environment they understand and relate to.

Ministering on the web is simply an extension of this movement within the church.  It is paradigmatic that young adults and a rapidly growing segment of the older adult population get most of their information from the internet.  News, sports, shopping, entertainment, are all consumed online.  Television Networks have scrambled to keep ever declining youth audiences, as their medium of choice shifts to the web.  For the church, failure to engage will leave the medium to the forces of evil.