According to the latest report published by The Nielson Company, Global Faces and Networked Places more than 67 % of internet visitors use social networks and blogs. Using Social networking sites and blogging has become the fourth most popular activity on internet which is ahead of checking personal email. Moreover, is the fastest growing internet activity. The report says that Facebook, which is the world’s most popular social networking site is visited by 3 out of 10 internet users. 47 percent internet users are facebook members in UK whereas Orkut has more than 70% Brazilians as its members. I have compiled the list of most popular online activites. This list is basesd on the Pew Internet & American Life Project tracking surveys. However the list is one year old but it can give you a good picture of common internet activities.

This is the big list of 72 most popular internet activities with their percentage share of all the activities ::

1. Sending or reading emails 92 %
2. Using search engines to find information 89 %
3. Search for a map or driving directions 86 %
4. Look for information on a hobby or interest 83 %
5. Research a product or service before buying 81 %
6. Check the weather 80 %
7. Look for health or medical info 75 %
8. Get travel information 73 %
9. Get news and current affairs 73 %
10. Buy a product online 71 %
11. Visit a local, state, or central government website 66 %
12. Buy or make a reservation for travel 64 %
13. Surf the Web for fun and time pass 62 %
14. Go to a website that provides info or support for a specific medical condition or personal situation 58 %
15. Research for school or training 57 %
16. Watch a video clip or listen to an audio clip on internet 56 %
17. Look for “how-to,” “do-it-yourself,” or repair information 55 %
18. Look online for news or information about politics or the upcoming campaigns 55 %
19. Look up phone number or address 54 %
20. Do online Banking 53 %
21. Watch a video on a video-sharing site like YouTube, MetaCafe or GoogleVideos 52 %
22. Take a virtual tour of a location online 51 %
23. Do any type of research for your job 51 %
24. Look online for information about a job 47 %
25. Get sports scores and info online 45 %
26. Get info online about a college, university, or other school 45 %
27. Download other files such as games, videos, or pictures 42 %
28. Get financial info online, such as stock quotes or mortage interest rates 41 %
29. Send instant messages 40 %
30. Look for info about a place to live 39 %
31. Download computer programs or softwares from the Internet 39 %
32. Pay bills online 38 %
33. Download mp3 songs 37 %
34. Upload photos to a website so you can share them with others online 37 %
35. Look for information on Wikipedia 36 %
36. Send or receive text messages using a cell phone 35 %
37. Look for religious or spiritual information 35 %
38. Play online games 35 %
39. Listen to music online at a website 34 %
40. Read someone else’s online journal, web log, or blog 33 %
41. Rate a product, service, or person using an online rating system 32 %
42. Use online classified ads or sites like Craig’s list 32 %
43. Log on to the internet using a wireless device 30 %
44. Listen to a live or recorded radio broadcast online, such as a newscast, sporting event, or radio show 29 %
45. Categorize or tag online content like a photo, news story, or blog post 28 %
46. Search for information about someone you know or might meet 28 %
47. Pay to access or download digital content online 28 %
48. Share files from own computer with others 27 %
49. Download video files to your computer 27 %
50. Participate in an online auction on ebay and other websites 26 %
51. Research your family’s history or genealogy online 25 %
52. Download screensavers from the Internet 23 %
53. Chat in a chat room or in an online discussion 22 %
54. Download computer games from the Internet 21 %
55. Create content for the Internet 19 %
56. Download a podcast so you can listen to it or view it at a later time 19 %
57. Make a donation to a charity online 18 %
58. View live images online of a remote location or person, using a webcam 17 %
59. Use an online social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook, or Friendster 16 %
60. Sell anything online 15 %
61. Visit an adult website 13 %
62. Take a class online just for personal enjoyment or enrichment 13 %
63. Participate in an online discussion 12 %
64. Send or receive an invitation to a meeting or party using an online invitation service 12 %
65. Take a class online for credit toward a degree of some kind 12 %
66. Create or work on your own online journal or blog 12 %
67. Take material you find online-like songs, text, or images-and remix it into your own artistic creation 11 %
68. Buy or sell stocks, bonds, or mutual funds 11 %
69. Make a phone call online 8 %
70. Go to a dating website or other site where you can meet people online 6 %
71. Create an avatar or online representation of yourself 6 %
72. Download or share adult content online 4 %

Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project tracking surveys.

The top five most popular online activities globally according to Nielsen’s latest report ::

1. Search – 85.9%
2. General Interest Portals & Communities – 85.2%
3. Software
4. Manufacturers 73.4%
5. Member Communities – 66.8%
6. E-mail 65.1%