- The document discusses internet and mobile device usage trends in the United States based on surveys conducted by the Pew Research Center. - Key findings include that 82% of American adults now use the internet, with 66% having home broadband access. Cell phone ownership is near universal at 95% of adults, while about half of adults and a quarter of teens have smartphones. - Internet and technology adoption varies based on age, income, education levels, and race/ethnicity. Younger, wealthier, and more educated Americans are more likely to use broadband and own the latest digital devices.

1. Digital
differences
Kathryn Zickuhr, Research Analyst
Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project
Wichita State University Elliott School of Communications
October 17, 2012

2. Kathryn Zickuhr
Research Analyst
Pew Research Center’s
Internet & American Life Project
kzickuhr@pewinternet.org
@kzickuhr
@pewinternet
@pewresearch

3. PewResearchCenter
• Public opinion attitudes toward the press, politics and
public policy issues
• The performance of the U.S. press
• The social impact of technology
• Worldwide public opinion
• Religion and public life
• The U.S. Hispanic population
• Social and demographic trends
pewresearch.org

4. PewResearchCenter
• Public opinion attitudes toward the press, politics and
public policy issues
• The performance of the U.S. press
• The social impact of technology
• Worldwide public opinion
• Religion and public life
• The U.S. Hispanic population
• Social and demographic trends
pewresearch.org

5. About Pew Internet
• Part of the Pew Research Center, a non-
partisan “fact tank” in Washington, DC.
– Provide high quality, objective data to
policymakers, journalists, researchers, etc.
• Does not promote specific technologies or
make policy recommendations
• All slides, reports, and data sets are
available at pewinternet.org

6. About our research
All data from nationally representative
telephone surveys:
• United States only
• Adults (ages 18+) and teens (ages 12-17)
• In English and Spanish
• On landlines and cell phones
Qualitative: Focus groups, online panels

7. Factors
• Age group
• Race/ethnicity
• Household income
• Educational attainment
• Quality of access

8. Internet

9. Internet use since 1995
% of adults ages 18+ who go online
90%
82%
80%
(April
70% 2012)
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10% 14%
(June
1995)
0%
Source: Pew Internet surveys

10. Almost two-thirds of American adults
have home broadband
Dial-up Broadband
80%
70%
66%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
3%
0%
June April March March April March March March April April May Aug April
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Source: Pew Internet surveys
@kzickuhr
@pewinternet
pewinternet.org

11. What is the MAIN reason you do not use
the internet? (asked of non-users)
Just not interested 31%
Don't have a computer 12%
Too expensive 10%
Too difficult 9%
It's a waste of time 7%
Don't have time to learn 6%
Don't have a access 6%
Don’t want/need it 4%
Too old to learn 4%
Physically unable 2%
Just don't know how 2%
Worried about viruses/spam/etc 1%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
Source: Pew Internet 2009 survey.
@kzickuhr
@pewinternet
pewinternet.org

12. Internet use vs home broadband by age
Use
Internet
Have
home
broadband
100
97
91
90
80
75
77
77
70
62
60
53
50
39
40
30
20
10
0
18-­‐29
30-­‐49
50-­‐64
65+
% of all adults 18+
@kzickuhr
@pewinternet
Source: Pew Internet April 2012 survey. pewinternet.org

13. Internet use vs home broadband by
yearly household income
Use
Internet
Have
home
broadband
100
97
93
90
87
85
87
80
71
68
70
60
50
46
40
30
20
10
0
Less
than
$30,000
$30k-­‐$49,999
$50k-­‐$74,999
$75,000+
% of all adults 18+
@kzickuhr
@pewinternet
Source: Pew Internet April 2012 survey. pewinternet.org

14. Internet use vs home broadband by
educational attainment
Use
Internet
Have
home
broadband
100
95
90
87
90
80
75
74
70
58
55
60
50
40
34
30
20
10
0
No
high
school
High
school
grad
Some
College
College
+
diploma
% of all adults 18+
Source: Pew Internet April 2012 survey.
@kzickuhr
@pewinternet

15. Internet use vs home broadband by
race/ethnicity
Use
Internet
Have
home
broadband
100
90
84
80
77
75
71
70
60
54
51
50
40
30
20
10
0
White,
Non-­‐Hispanic
Black,
Non-­‐Hispanic
Hispanic
(English-­‐
and
Spanish-­‐speaking)
% of all adults 18+
@kzickuhr
@pewinternet
Source: Pew Internet April 2012 survey. pewinternet.org

16. Gadgets

17. Gadget ownership by age group
Ages 18-29 Age 30-49 Ages 50-64 Age 65+
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Cell phones Desktops Laptops E-readers Tablets
Source: Pew Internet surveys. Data is for adults age 18+. pewinternet.org

18. Gadgets by household income
< $30k/yr $30k-$49,999 $50k-$74,999 $75k+
120%
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Cell phones Desktops Laptops E-readers Tablets
Source: Pew Internet surveys. Data is for adults age 18+. pewinternet.org

19. Gadget ownership by education
No high school diploma High school grad Some college College +
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Cell phones Desktops Laptops E-readers Tablets
Source: Pew Internet surveys. Data is for adults age 18+. pewinternet.org

20. Gadget ownership by race/ethnicity
White Black Hispanic*
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Cell phones Desktops Laptops E-readers Tablets
Source: Pew Internet surveys. Data is for adults age 18+. *
English-­‐
and
Spanish-­‐speaking

21. Amost nine in ten adults (and three-
quarters of teens) have a cell phone
100
95%
94%
86%
77%
80
67%
60
40
20
0
12-­‐17
18-­‐29
30-­‐49
50-­‐64
65+
Teen data: July 2011 Adult data: Feb 2012
Source: Pew Internet surveys. pewinternet.org

22. Cell phone ownership (total) by
race/ethnicity
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
87%
88%
88%
40%
Cell
phone
(total)
30%
20%
10%
0%
White
Black
Hispanic
(English-­‐
and
% of all adults 18+ Spanish-­‐speaking)
Source: Pew Internet February 2012 survey.

23. Cell phone activities by race/ethnicity
% of adult cell phone owners 18+ within each group who do the following activities with their cell phone
White, non- Black, non- Hispanic
Hispanic Hispanic (n=196)
Send or receive text messages 70 76 83*
Take a picture 71 70 79*
Access the internet 39 56* 51*
Send a photo or video to someone 52 58 61*
Send or receive email 34 46* 43*
Download an app 28 36* 36*
Play a game 31 43* 40*
Play music 27 45* 47*
Record a video 30 41* 42*
Access a social networking site 25 39* 35*
Watch a video 21 33* 39*
Post a photo or video online 18 30* 28*
Check bank balance or do online banking 15 27* 25*
*indicates statistically significant differences compared with whites.
Source: Pew Internet May 2011 survey

24. About half of adults (and almost a
quarter of teens) have a smartphone
80%
70%
66%
59%
60%
50%
40%
34%
30%
23%
20%
13%
10%
0%
12-­‐17
18-­‐29
30-­‐49
50-­‐64
65+
Teen data: July 2011 Adult data: Feb 2012
Source: Pew Internet surveys. pewinternet.org

25. Cell phone ownership (total) by
race/ethnicity
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
87%
88%
88%
40%
Cell
phone
(total)
30%
20%
10%
0%
White
Black
Hispanic
(English-­‐
and
% of all adults 18+ Spanish-­‐speaking)
Source: Pew Internet February 2012 survey.

26. Smartphone ownership by race/
ethnicity
100%
90%
80%
70%
40%
42%
39%
60%
50%
Other
cell
phone
40%
Smartphone
30%
44%
45%
49%
20%
10%
0%
White
Black
Hispanic
(English-­‐
and
% of all adults 18+ Spanish-­‐speaking)
Source: Pew Internet February 2012 survey.

27. • 88% of American adults own
a cell phone
• 55% of adult cell owners go
online using their phones
• 31% of cell internet users say
they mostly go online with
their cell phone.

28. 31% of cell internet users are
“cell-mostly”:
• 51%
of
African-­‐American
cell
internet
users
do
most
of
their
internet
acYviYes
on
their
cell
phones
• 42%
of
LaYno
cell
internet
users
• 24%
of
whites
• 45%
of
all
18-­‐29
year
olds
who
use
the
internet
on
their
cell
phones
are
“cell-­‐mostly”
10% cite access (lack of computer or home
internet) as main reason

29. Factors
• Age group
• Race/ethnicity
• Household income
• Educational attainment
• Quality of access

31. Thank you!
Kathryn Zickuhr
Research Analyst
Pew Internet & American Life Project
kzickuhr@pewinternet.org
All data, slides, and reports available at
pewinternet.org