The study concludes that leadership by school administrators is a crucial factor in distinguishing schools that are using the Internet effectively for instruction, and schools that are not. This report is one of a series of Pew foundation reports on ways in which the Internet is affecting American life and society. The study reports that nearly four-fifths of students in the United States between the ages of 12 and 17 now use the Internet. The in-depth survey found that these students routinely use the Internet as a virtual: textbook and reference library; tutor and study shortcut; study group; guidance counselor; and locker, backpack, and notebook.