The chart compares the proportions of American females in different age groups who used the Internet in 2000 and 2001.
Overall, Internet penetration rose across nearly all age groups, with the only exceptions being a slight decline among girls aged 12-15 and no change for those aged 19-24. While the youngest cohort was the most active in 2000, it was the 16-18 group that took the lead in 2001.
In 2000, Internet usage among the youngest girls (12-15) was just above 90%, marginally higher than the 88% recorded for 16-18-year-olds. Roughly four in five women in both the 19-24 and 25-35 brackets went online, while the proportions were lower, at around two-thirds, among those aged 36-55. Internet adoption then fell steeply with age, dropping to 45% for women aged 56-65 and only one-fifth among seniors.
By 2001, usage among 12-15-year-olds had slipped slightly, whereas the figure for the 16-18 cohort climbed dramatically to reach 100%, the highest level overall. The rates for women aged 25-55 also rose, stabilising at around 80%. Meanwhile, the two oldest groups experienced significant gains of roughly 10 percentage points, bringing the figures to 53% for 56-65-year-olds and 30% for those over 65.
In summary, Internet use among American females expanded across almost all age categories during this period, with the most notable growth occurring in the older cohorts, although younger women remained the most connected overall.