Bay Area computer usage soars

Francine Brevetti, BUSINESS WRITER

We know how you're fiddling away your time.

You've spent three more hours a week on the Internet this year than you did in 1999. You now while away 14 hours per seven-day period, whereas you used to waste 11 hours a week surfing, playing games, shopping online and instant messaging your girlfriend.

The Bay Area Council reports that you are not only more addicted to the Internet today than during the dot-com boom, you're more Internet-dependent than the rest of the country.

"While about 60 percent of Americans access the Internet via computer at their home or at work every week, a large majority (80 percent) of Bay Area residents connect weekly," the Council's report concluded.

Mark DiCamillo, director of the Field Research Corp., which conducted the poll, said 83 percent of Bay Area adults use a computer regularly compared to 79 percent in 1999.

"That has to be one of highest percentages of computer usage in the United States," he said.

Curiously, 68 percent of you are more likely to connect at home than at the office, where only 33 percent go online.

Exactly what are you doing at the office?

Actually, DiCamillo said this surprising finding emerged from the fact that only 60 percent of us are employed at one time. And not all jobs require a computer.

Also, the proportion of home users connecting through broadband technologies versus modems is in the process of being reversed. Today only 36 percent of residents use a modem connection as opposed to 43 percent the year before. But 39 percent use high-speed DLS and 20 percent connect through high speed cable.

The Digital Divide, the moniker that describes the lack of computer and Internet access experienced by low-income individuals, has narrowed a bit. While 92 percent of those who pull down over $80,000 a year use a computer, only 68 percent of those making less than $40,000 annually do. However, this is an improvement over 66 percent in this income tier who had access in 2002, the Council found.

Furthermore, there was a big leap in the number who have high- speed cable or DSL access. This year 49 percent of the less than prosperous enjoy this kind of access over 27 percent last year. Those who earn more than $80,000 and have broadband access grew to 73 percent from 53 percent in 2002.

The Council uncovered some interesting disparities among six regions of the Bay Area.

On a per capita basis, 87.5 percent of North Bay residents (Marin, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties) use a computer on a regular basis whether at home, work or school. The same percentage go online regularly. In Alameda County, only 78.2 percent are computer- equipped and only 73.5 percent in Alameda County are online users.

More than 20 percent of San Franciscans participate in online discussion groups or chat rooms. Only 8.2 percent of Contra Costa residents are likely to do so.

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