9 out of 10 teens have access to Internet, survey finds

CHICAGO -- A new survey says that the Internet has all but saturated the youth market.

The report compiled for the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that nearly nine out of 10 young people, ages 12 through 17, have online access -- up from about three-quarters of young people in 2000.

By comparison, about 66 percent of American adults now use the Internet.

David Pulliam, a 17-year-old high school senior from Indianapolis, is a typical example of a wired teen.

He first got access to the Web when he was 13, as did most of those who were surveyed. He has a blog and loves to use instant messaging to stay in touch with friends he's met at camps and sporting events.

''It's hard to imagine my life without it," Pulliam says of the Web.

Amanda Lenhart, a Pew researcher, says that rings true with the findings of the survey. ''Teens are very selective -- they're smart about their technology use," she says.

The survey, completed in late 2004, included responses from 1,100 young people who were contacted randomly by phone.