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CNN Live At Daybreak

Survey Shows Americans Embrace Internet, With Reservations

Aired July 10, 2001 - 08:01   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN ANCHOR: We begin wired. If you're like millions of Americans, you have already jumped on board. We're traveling the information superhighway in record numbers. All you need is a computer and a click of the mouse.

A new survey being released today finds that while Americans embrace the Internet, they also have some serious reservations.

CNN's Ann Kellan is here now with more.

ANN KELLAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So basically, the Markle Foundation did this survey. They did it my phone. They did it online. Overall, 63 percent, they say, used the Internet at least once.

And there were some interesting findings, but the question that they asked was what is the best thing about the Internet? What would you say is the best thing about the Internet? Well, that was really no surprise. Overwhelmingly, they said it's for information. Sixty- one percent said that. That's their number one thing. They were not asked for their top three favorite uses of the Internet.

Now, 27 percent said the best thing is to use the Internet for e- mail communication. They like the convenience. Five percent put shopping at the top -- pretty down on the list, but that's not their number one use of the Internet. That's not that they don't shop online.

Now it was interesting. Overall, people in the United States do give the Internet a very high rating. They like it. Seventy-nine percent say it makes their life easier, compared to only 18 percent of the Internet users who say the Internet really doesn't help much.

The online survey did ask what are the top three things that concern you about the Internet? Topping the list was privacy of personal information. Obviously, there is concern for keeping files like medical records and bank accounts private online. That was really important. People were also worried about scams and frauds, and another big worry is the ability of children to access adult materials, like pornography and violent material online.

The question is what do you do about this problem? People were split about that. They really didn't know. Some people said we should police the Internet more. But then other people said no, we shouldn't, because that will create more censorship on the Internet, less freedom of speech. So we're at odds, and they don't know what to do. But it's interesting that there is a frustration there.

MCEDWARDS: Is it surprising that so few people use the Internet for shopping? Because we're certainly led to believe that that has been the great advance, that you can point and click. Your credit card number is safe. You can buy whatever you want online.

KELLAN: Obviously, the survey shows that people are worried about that. But the survey really doesn't tell us how many people are shopping online. Again, it just said what is your number one favorite thing to do on the Internet. So we don't really understand or we don't get yet, are people shopping a lot online? Obviously, there is some worry about that. There is some concern. That was voiced in the survey, that people don't like to give out their credit cards as much, and they are worried about the privacy thing. There are some things that they worry about, but actually how much, that's not really coming out in this survey.

MCEDWARDS: Great. Thanks very much, Ann Kellan.

KELLAN: You're welcome.

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