Mobile is the Needle, Social is the Thread How Information Today is Woven Into Our Lives Radiodays Europe March 15-16, 2012 Barcelona, Spain Kristen Purcell, Ph.D. Associate Director, Research Pew Internet Project

Part of the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan “fact tank” based in Washington, DC PRC’s mission is to provide high quality, objective data to thought leaders and policymakers Data for this talk is from nationally representative telephone surveys of U.S. adults and teens (on landlines and cell phones) Presentation slides and all data are available at pewinternet.org

46% of US adults used the internet 5% had home broadband connections 53% owned a cell phone 0% connected to internet wirelessly 0% used social network sites __________________________ Information flowed mainly one way Information consumption was a stationary activity Internet Use in the U.S. in 2000 Slow, stationary connections built around a desktop computer

82% of US adults use the internet, 76% of whom are online on any given day 2/3 have broadband at home 88% have a cell phone; 46% are smartphone users 14% have a tablet computer 2/3 are wireless internet users 65% of online adults use SNS The Internet in 2012 Mobile devices have fundamentally changed the relationship between information, time and space Information is now portable, participatory, and personal

The Very Nature of Information Has Changed All around us Cheap or free Shaped and controlled by consumers and networks Designed for sharing, participation and feedback Immediate Embedded in our worlds Scarce Expensive Shaped and controlled by elites Designed for one-way, mass consumption Slow moving External to our worlds Information was… Information is…

Information is Woven Into Our Lives Mobile is the needle, Social Networks are the thread Social Networks… Surround us with information through our many connections Bring us information from multiple, varied sources Provide instant feedback, meaning and context Allow us to shape and create information ourselves and amplify others’ messages Mobile… Moves information with us Makes information accessible ANYTIME and ANYWHERE Puts information at our fingertips Magnifies the demand for timely information Makes information location-sensitive

Mobile is the Needle: 88% of US Adults Have a Cell Phone Teen data July 2011 Adult data Feb % of US adults now own smartphones, up from 35% in Spring 2011 Highest among young adults: 67% of year-olds 71% of year-olds % in each age group who have a cell phone

% of US adult cell owners who use their phones to… Mobile is the Needle That Weaves Information Throughout Our World

Overall, if you had to use one single word to describe how you feel about your cell phone, what would that one word be?

How Phones Function In Our Lives % of US adult cell owners who had done each of the following in the past 30 days…

Percent of US adults 18+ who own each type of gadget… Based on Pew Internet Tracking Surveys, Tablet ownership rose from 4% to 14% between September 2010 and February 2012 Tablet and e-reader ownership is highest among….  college graduates  adults with household incomes of $75,000+ Tablet and E-reader Use is Growing

Apps provide direct connections to information % of app downloaders who have downloaded each type of app… Based on August 2011 Pew Internet Tracking Survey Apps: From Superhighway to Bypass One in three US adults download apps to a cell phone or tablet computer App downloading is highest among young adults age 18-29

Into the Future: Apps and Augmented Reality

Social Networks are the Threads That Connect Us 65% of US adults use social networking sites Consistent rates across gender, race/ethnicity, and income groups

Why We Use Social Networks

A Pew study finds that contrary to fears the internet isolates people... Facebook users are more trusting than other adults Facebook users have more close relationships Facebook users get more social support than other adults For networked individuals, information is embedded and ambient Social Networks and Social Cohesion

Social Networks Give Rise to “News Participators” In January 2010, 37% of internet users contributed to, commented on, or disseminated news content via SNS 71% got news/info through or SNS posts _________________________________________________ In January 2011, 41% of adults were “local news participators” Share links to local stories/videos Comment on local news stories/blogs Post information about their community on SNS Contribute to online discussions about their community “Tag” or categorize local content Post articles/photos/videos about their community

% of online news consumers who use each source on a typical day Most Popular Online Sources for News and Information Based on Jan 2010 Pew Internet Survey

The Culture of Shared Information Based on Jan 2010 Pew Internet Survey The most popular features allow people to interact with, share, and customize their information. This is especially true for young adults. Popular features of online news sites….

Information is Directly Embedded in Our Environments The Internet of Things Convergence of physical and digital worlds Networked objects Immersive environments Information is no longer external to our world, but woven into its very fabric

Kristen Purcell, Ph.D. Associate Director, Research Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life All data available at pewinternet.org