The chart illustrates the proportions of females across different age groups who used the Internet in the USA in 2000 and 2001.
Overall, Internet use rose across almost all age cohorts over the period shown, except for a slight dip among 12-15-year-olds and a stagnation among the 19-24 group. Notably, while girls aged 12-15 made up the largest share of users in 2000, the 16-18 group overtook them to become the most active in 2001.
In 2000, just over 90% of 12-15-year-old girls were online, marginally outnumbering the 88% recorded for those aged 16-18. Roughly four in five women aged 19-24 and 25-35 accessed the Internet, compared with about two-thirds of those in the 36-45 and 46-55 brackets. Usage then dropped sharply with age, from 45% among 56-65-year-olds to only one-fifth of those aged 65 and over.
By 2001, Internet penetration among the youngest cohort had edged down slightly, whereas that of 16-18-year-olds climbed markedly to reach 100%, the highest overall. Rates for the 25-55 age groups increased to around 80%, while usage among 56-65-year-olds and seniors rose by about 10 percentage points to 53% and 30% respective
