21 Percent of Americans Are 'Almost Constantly' Online

The Internet never sleeps. 

Nearly three-quarters of Americans—73 percent—say that they go on the Internet at least once per day, while 21 percent are online "almost constantly," according to a new study from Pew Research. Another 42 percent say they hit the Web "several times a day."

Not surprisingly, younger Americans ages 18 to 29 are most likely to be "almost constantly" online—36 percent versus 6 percent of people 65 years of age and older. But education also played a role.

"Along with younger adults, some demographic groups that report going online frequently include college-educated adults, adults who live in higher-income households, and non-rural residents," Pew reported. "Some 29 percent of adults with a college education or more go online almost constantly (and 89 percent go online daily), compared with 14 percent of adults with a high school education or less.

About 28 percent of adults with an income of $75,000 or more use the Web constantly (91 percent use it daily), compared with 16 percent of those whose household makes less than $30,000.

This is the first time Pew has included "almost constantly" as part of its research into how Americans use the Internet. The company found that a key component in people always connecting to the Internet is the ubiquity of mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets. Indeed, those who own a mobile device are about three times more likely to be say they're online "almost constantly" compared to those who don't use a mobile device.

Despite the obvious interest in using the Internet across the U.S., there are still a surprisingly large number of people who aren't interested in going online. According to Pew, 13 percent of adults say they don't use the Internet at all.