A new poll by the Pew Research Center says that 21% of the population is virtually on line all day.

It's hard to determine the trend as this was the first time that question was asked. But with the rise in smart phones and tablets, it means one-fifth of Americans are practically mind-melded to the internet through their computers and mobile devices, doing work, connecting with friends, playing online games, streaming videos, obsessively checking Facebook newsfeeds, and engaging in any other manner of online activity.

Age makes a difference. Of those between 18 and 29, around 36 percent report being online almost constantly, while half say they’re online multiple times per day.

Socioeconomic factors are another consideration. Andrew Perrin summarizes the survey results:

Along with younger adults, some demographic groups that report going online frequently include college-educated adults, adults who live in higher-income households, and non-rural residents. Some 29% of adults with a college education or more go online almost constantly (and 89% go online daily), compared with 14% of adults with a high school education or less. And 28% of adults who have an annual household income of $75,000 or more use the internet almost constantly (91% use it daily), compared with 16% of those whose household makes less than $30,000. Adults who live in urban and suburban areas are more likely to go online almost constantly than those who live in rural areas: 23% of adults living in urban and suburban areas use the internet almost constantly, compared with 14% of rural residents.

How much time do you spend online?

Source: Gizmodo