report: new pew reports, spam and health online

Two recent reports from the Pew Internet & American Life Project

1) Spam and Phishing (April 10, 2005)

Overall, more than half of all internet users (52%) complain that spam is a big problem. In a first-time measure of "phishing," or unsolicited email requesting
personal financial information, 35% of users say they have received such
email, and 2% have responded by providing the information.

Read the full report

2) Health Information Online (May 17, 2005)

Eight in ten internet users have looked online for information on at
least one of 16 health topics, with increased interest in diet, fitness,
drugs, health insurance, experimental treatments, and particular doctors
and hospitals. That translates to about 95 million American adults (18+)
who use the internet to find health information.

Some demographic groups showed notable interest in specific topics - 59%
of online women have read up on nutrition information online, for
example, compared with 43% of online men. Thirty-eight percent of online
parents have checked online for health insurance information, compared
with 26% of internet users who do not have children living at home.
Forty-one percent of internet users with a broadband connection at home
have looked up a particular doctor or hospital, compared with 19% of
internet users with a dial-up connection at home.

Read the full report