A quarter of U.S. consumers spend more time shopping online than last year

24% of U.S. consumers spend more time shopping online than they did last year. And 25% of consumers spend more time reading online product reviews.

Those are among the findings from a Harris Interactive poll of 2,258 adults conducted between Sept. 1-3.

Younger online consumers are becoming increasingly avid web shoppers, the survey findings suggest.  30% of respondents between the ages of 18 and 34 say they spend more time shopping online this year, with 28% spending more time reading product reviews than last year. By contrast, 22% of consumers aged 55 and older report spending more time shopping online, and 23% more time researching online product reviews.

Despite the apparent gains for e-commerce in this year’s survey, Harris Interactive also found signs of the price paid for making shopping and other activities more efficient via the Internet. 54% of survey respondents say they have less face-to-face contact with friends, with 31% of respondents said they feel lonelier than they did a year ago.

“While the Internet may provide tools and services which can educate consumers, potentially helping them to get the best products for their money, they may be something lost in translation through the solitary experience of communicating and shopping online,” Harris says.