A new study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project finds that nearly a third of U.S. internet users log on just for fun or to pass the time each day, and recreational online surfing ranks behind only email and search - and neck-and-neck with getting news online - reports the Associated Press. The 30 percent of internet users who daily go online for fun is an increase from the 21 percent a year earlier. "What it says about the internet is that it is becoming a full-blown destination in itself," said Deb Fallows, the Pew senior research fellow who led the study.

"It's not a passive activity that you're just sucking yourself into. You are navigating yourself around, you are discovering things, learning things."