Despite its emergence as a marketing and purchasing tool, the Internet still lags behind the telephone in consumer purchases. According to a consumer study conducted on behalf of the American Teleservices Association (ATA), 45% of Americans have initiated a purchase via telephone in the past year - compared with 37% who have initiated a purchase over the Internet in the same period. Only among those 25-34 years old did the Internet lead with 50%, compared to 39% who bought over the telephone.

The telephone continues to be the most favored channel for consumer purchases. Those aged 25-34 are most likely to use the Internet to initiate a purchase, while those 65+ are least likely. Just 11% of those age 65 and over initiated a purchase over the Internet in the past year.

The Majority of Americans Do Not Subscribe to Caller-ID

Services Fewer than 40% of Americans subscribe to Caller-ID services, with less than 20% of older Americans using this service. Those who live in the South are the most likely to subscribe to Caller-ID - one out of every two southerners has the service. The age-technology gap is again evident - those 54.2% of those aged 25-34 years old are the most likely to subscribe to the service, compared to just 16.9% of those 65 and older. The general assumption that the elderly do not subscribe for monetary reasons is not borne out by the survey. The poorest economic group, those with incomes less than $25,000 subscribe at about the same rate (36.1%) as the general population (39%).

Nearly 60% of Americans Received One or More Campaign-Related Phone Calls During the 2000 Election Cycle
The telephone remains a crucial channel for politicians and political candidates to communicate with their constituents and supporters. 58% of Americans received at least one call during the 2000 elections. Nearly 20% reported receiving between 6 and 10 calls.

Political calls seem to increase with age - only 45% of those 25-34 years old reported receiving a call, while 67% of those 65 and over received at least one call.