Young Adults Frequently Use Internet for No Apparent Reason, Pew Research Finds

Many adults -- especially young adults -- are logging onto the Internet for no apparent reason other than to pass time or have fun.

A Pew Research Center survey released Friday asked individuals Did you go online yesterday for no particular reason, just for fun or to pass the time? Thirty-four percent of adults answered yes.

The younger adults were more likely to spend time online for no apparent reason. A whopping 53 percent of people in the 18-29 age group answered yes to the survey question. That number dropped to 37 percent for those ages 30-49, 27 percent for those ages 50-64 and only 12 percent for those ages 65 and older.

Furthermore, 81 percent of adults ages 18-29 reported using the Internet for no apparent reason at least occasionally, significantly higher than the 58 percent for all adults.

Sixty-six percent of adults ages 30-49, 50 percent of adults 50-64 and a mere 23 percent of adults ages 65 and older report using the Internet for no apparent reason at least occasionally.

Pew Research Center surveyed 2,260 adults age 18 and over. The margin of error is plus or minus two percentage points.