( Mashable ) -- Americans are going online to pass the time more than they were just a few years ago , according to a new study . A report from Pew Research Center 's Internet & American Life Project found that about 53 % of young adults ages 18 to 29 go online on any given day for no particular reason except for a diversion or just for fun . About 81 % of people in this demographic said they have done so at least occasionally . The study -- conducted among 2,260 adults ages 18 and over on landlines and cellphones -- has a margin of error of 3.7 % . But it 's not just young web users that turn to the Internet during their down time -- about 58 % of all adults or 74 % of online adults said they use the Internet this way , up from 45 % of adults who said they did so in a Pew survey conducted in 2006 . Pew noted that the growth of people using the Internet as a `` destination for fun '' coincides with the rise of broadband connections , social networking and video . The trend also suggests that the Web is becoming a competitor to other kinds of other leisure activities . `` These findings are one of our main signs about how deeply Internet use has woven itself into the rhythms of people 's lives , '' lead author Lee Rainie told Mashable . `` When they have some down time , more and more of them are finding the Internet a fun , diverting place to spend their leisure moments . It 's not necessarily surprising to see that this is a favorite pastime of young adults . It is a bit surprising to see that the incidence of this use has grown in every age demographic . The Internet is not just the playground of the young . '' The study did not ask respondents specifically how they are spending their time online for fun . © 2011 MASHABLE.com . All rights reserved .
2007 : 53 % of young people go online for no particular reason . Growth continues with rise of social networking and online shopping . The data suggests that the Internet is becoming a competitor to other leisure technologies .