40 Million Americans Prefer the Web for Science News

40 million Americans use the internet as their primary source of news and information about science, and 87% of online users have at one time used the internet to carry out research on a scientific topic or concept.

As a primary source for science information, the internet is second only to television among the general population. For Americans with high-speed internet connections at home, the internet is as popular as TV for news and information about science. And for young adults with high-speed connections at home, the internet is the most popular source for science news and information by a 44% to 32% margin over television.

Some of the key findings by an American online survey company conducted among a sample of 2500 people include:

• 87% of online users have used the internet to look up the meaning of a scientific concept, answer a specific science question, learn more about a scientific breakthrough, help complete a school assignment, check the accuracy of a scientific fact, downloaded scientific data, or compare different or opposing scientific theories
• Two-thirds of respondents asked about stem cell research said they would first turn to the internet
• 59% asked about climate change said they would first go to the internet
• 71% of internet users say they turn to the internet for science news and information because it is convenient
• 65% say they have encountered news and information about science when they have gone online for a different reason

Users of the internet for science information also report better attitudes about the role science plays in society and higher assessments of how well they understand science. Specifically:

• 78% of those who have gotten science information online describe themselves as "very" or "somewhat" informed about new scientific discoveries
• 58% of remaining internet users says this
• 48% strongly agree that to be a strong society, the United States needs to be competitive in science
• 33% of remaining online users strongly agree with this
• 43% strongly agree that scientific research is essential to improving the quality of human lives
• 27% of remaining online users say this
• 59% of Americans have been to some sort of science museum in the past year, such as a zoo or aquarium, natural history museum, science or technology museum, or planetarium
• 49% of internet users have gone to a website whose content is devoted to science, such as the Smithsonian's website or NationalGeographic.com.
• The report also shows a relationship between the two behaviors: those who have gone to a science museum are more likely to visit science websites, and vice versa

Update by Chanelle: People's use of the internet for science information has a lot to do with the internet's convenience as a research tool, but it also connected to people's growing dependence on the internet for information of all types.