Pew Internet and American Life Project: Releases Feed

Nearly half of technology users need help with new devices

2008-11-16

WASHINGTON, DC, November 16, 2008 – Although information technology is well integrated into the lives of many Americans, gadgets and communication services require, for some, a call for help. Some 48% of technology users usually need help from others to set up new devices or to show them how they function. Many tech users encounter problems with their cell phones, internet connections, and other gadgets. This, in turn, often leads to impatience and frustration as they try to get them fixed.

New research from the Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project shows that:

44% of those with home internet access say their connection failed to work properly at some time in the previous 12 months.

39% of those with desktop or laptop computers have had their machines not work properly at some time in the previous 12 months.

29% of cell phone users say their device failed to work properly at some time in the previous year.

“Struggles with modern gadgetry mean less engagement with the services they enable,” said John B. Horrigan, Associate Director of the Pew Internet Project and co-author of the report. “Time spent dealing with set-up or outages means less time using modern communication services to connect with friends or find information that might help people be more productive.”

Although tech users can usually fix the problems by themselves, with the help of friends, or by calling upon user support, some say they cannot fix tech problems at all. Here are some of the ways device owners fixed their broken technology:

38% of users with failed technology contacted user support for help.

28% of technology users fixed the problem themselves.

15% fixed the problem with help from friends or family.

15% of tech users were unable to fix their devices

2% found help online

“In an age in which new technologies are introduced almost daily, a new gadget or service can become popular well before the technology itself is understood by the average user,” said Sydney Jones, Research Assistant at the Pew Internet and American Life Project and co-author of the report. “Naturally, some users catch on to new technology more quickly than others, and those who have more trouble grasping the technology are left confused, discouraged, and reliant on help from others when their technology fails.”

Not only did users find different solutions to their device failures, they reported varying attitudes during the course of trying to solve the problem. Overall:

72% felt confident that they were on the right track to solving the problem.

59% felt impatient to solve the problem because they had important uses for the broken technology.

48% felt discouraged with the amount of effort needed to fix the problem.

40% felt confused by the information that they were getting.

Adults who are most likely to be impatient to fix their devices are those who had the most devices fail, those who use their devices most, and those who rely more heavily on their devices for work or information.

This report is based on a survey of 2,054 adults between October 24, 2007, and December 2, 2007. Some 734 respondents in the survey were technology users who had at least one device fail in the past

Contact: John B. Horrigan or Sydney Jones at 202-419-4500.

Traditional nuclear families use the internet and cell phones to create a “new connectedness” that revolves around remote interactions and shared online experiences

2008-10-19

WASHINGTON -- The internet and cell phones have become central components of modern family life. Among all household types, the traditional nuclear family has the highest rate of technology usage and ownership.

A national survey of 2,252 adults by the Pew Internet and American Life Project has found that households with a married couple and minor children are more likely than other household types -- such as single adults, homes with unrelated adults, or couples without children – to have cell phones and use the internet.

89% of married-with-children households own multiple cell phones, and nearly half own three or more mobile devices.

66% of married-with-children households have a high-speed broadband internet connection at home, well above the national average for all households of 52%.

Both spouses and at least one child go online in 65% of married-with-children households.

58% of married-with-children households contain two or more desktop or laptop computers.

The survey shows that these high rates of technology ownership affect family life. In particular, cell phones allow family members to stay more regularly in touch even when they are not physically together. Moreover, many members of married-with-children households view material online together.

"Some analysts have worried that new technologies hurt family togetherness, but we see that technology allows for new kinds of connectedness built around cell phones and the internet," noted Tracy Kennedy, author of a new report about the survey called "Networked Families."

"Family members touch base with each other frequently with their cell phones, and they use those phones to coordinate family life on the fly during their busy lives."

70% of couples in which both partners own a cell phone contact each other daily to say hello or chat; 54% of couples who have one or no cell phones do this at least once a day.

64% of couples in which both partners own a cell phone contact each other daily to coordinate their schedules; 47% of couples who have one or no cell phones do this at least once a day.

42% of parents contact their child/children on a daily basis using a cell phone, making cell phones the most popular communications tool between parents and children.

Kennedy added: "A lot of families treat the internet as a place for shared experiences. They don’t just withdraw from the family to their own computer for private screen time. They often say, 'Hey – look at this!' to others in the household."

Some 52% of internet users who live with a spouse and one or more children go online with another person at least a few times a week. Another 34% of such families have shared screen moments at least occasionally.

Overall, respondents in this survey see much upside and little downside in the way new technologies have affected the quality of their communications with others.

When asked if the internet and cell phones had made family life different for their current family compared with the family in which they had grown up, 25% said their family today is closer than their family when they were growing up, 11% said their family today is not as close as families in the past, and 60% said that new technologies have not made their family any more or less close than their family in the past.

However, the benefits of the internet and cell phones are somewhat counterbalanced in some families by their contribution to the speed of modern life and their role in blurring the lines between "work" and "home" life. Some 11% of employed internet users say the internet has increased the amount of time they spend working from the office, and 19% say it has increased the amount of time they spend working from home.

"Families are becoming networks," argued Prof. Barry Wellman of the University of Toronto and an author of the study. "Each household member can be her own communications hub and that changes things inside and outside the household. Family members are neither isolated individuals nor traditional actors in Fun with Dick and Jane homes. Rather, their households are active sites of the interplay of individual activity and family togetherness."

In other findings:

In the face of busy schedules and many demands on their time, Americans frequently prize their time with family members over recreational activities and relaxation. While 55% of adults are very satisfied with the amount of time they spend with their families, just 35% are very satisfied with the amount of time they are able to spend on hobbies, clubs and other activities.

Employment plays a key role in how Americans spend their time. Individuals who are employed (whether full or part time) have lower levels of satisfaction with the time they have available for family, friends and relatives, hobbies and clubs, and relaxation.

While 74% of all adults watch TV nearly every day, television continues to lose ground to the internet—particularly among young adults. Just 58% of 18-29 year olds watch TV almost every day, and 29% say that they now watch less TV as a result of the internet.

Internet users socialize just as frequently as non-users. Indeed, even intense internet users (i.e. those who go online from home several times a day) are no less likely to socialize with friends than those who go online less frequently and those who do not go online at all.

Most working Americans now use the internet or email at their jobs

2008-09-24

WASHINGTON, September 24, 2008 – A new national survey shows that 62% of adults who are currently employed use the internet or email at work and they have mixed views about the impact of technology on their work lives.

On the one hand, they cite the benefits of increased connectivity and flexibility that the internet and all of their various gadgets afford them at work. On the other hand, many workers say these tools have added stress and new demands to their lives.

This survey also finds that 96% of those who work use the internet, email or have a cell phone for some purpose in their lives, even if those things are not specifically tied to work. We call this larger group "Wired and Ready Workers." When they are asked about the impact of these technologies on their work lives:

80% say these technologies have improved their ability to do their job.

73% say these technologies have improved their ability to share ideas with co-workers.

58% say these tools have allowed them more flexibility in the hours they work.

At the same time, Wired and Ready Workers note various negative impacts of information and communications technologies on their work lives:

49% say these technologies increase the level of stress in their job.

49% say these technologies make it harder for them to disconnect from their work when they are at home and on the weekends.

46% say these tools increase demands that they work more hours.

"American workers have a love-hate relationship with technology," said Mary Madden, Senior Research Specialist with the Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project and co-author of the report. "Along with the benefits of increased connectivity comes a host of new issues into workers’ lives. How do you strike a work-life balance when you are always reachable by the boss? What counts as overtime work when you are 'on the clock' at all hours? How much personal online browsing can you do while you are sitting in your cubicle? These challenges pervade many work places today."

The "Networked Workers" data comes from a national sample of 2,134 adults ages 18 and older, fielded between March 27, 2008 and April 14, 2008. Some 1,482 respondents in the survey were internet users and the margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points for results based on internet users.

One of the major impacts of the internet and cell phones is that they have enabled more people to do work at least occasionally from home. Some 45% of employed Americans report doing at least some work from home and 18% of working Americans say they do job-related tasks at home almost daily.

The survey found that those who are most tethered to work are more likely to say that their gadgets and connectivity have had some negative impacts:

59% of Wired and Ready Workers who hold professional and managerial positions say communications technologies have increased demands that they work more hours, as do 56% of those who already work more than 40 hours per week.

63% of those who own Blackberries and PDAs feel as though gadgets and connectivity increase demands that they work more hours, and 30% feel as though these demands have increased "a lot."

"Email is still the primary artery of workplace communications in many professions, and it has clearly started to spill over into personal life," said Sydney Jones, co-author and Research Assistant for the Pew Internet Project. "Over time, workers have become more likely to check their email outside of normal working hours, and many are expected to do so by their employer."

Some 22% of employed email users say they are expected to read and respond to work-related emails, even when they are not at work. Blackberry and PDA owners are more than twice as likely to report that their employer expects that they will stay tuned in to email outside of the office. Fully 48% say they are required to read and respond to email when they are away from work.

50% of employed email users say they check their work-related email on the weekends. Fully 22% say that they check their work email accounts "often" during weekend hours, compared with 16% who reported the same in 2002.

46% of employed email users say they check email when they have to take a sick day; 25% say they do so "often."

34% of employed email users say they will at least occasionally check their email while on vacation; 11% say they do so "often."

Major new study shatters stereotypes about teens and video games

2008-09-16

WASHINGTON, September 16, 2008 – The first national survey of its kind finds that virtually all American teens play computer, console, or cell phone games and that the gaming experience is rich and varied, with a significant amount of social interaction and potential for civic engagement. The survey was conducted by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, an initiative of the Pew Research Center and was supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

The primary findings in the survey of 1,102 youth ages 12-17 include –

Game playing is universal, with almost all teens playing games and at least half playing games on a given day.

97% of American teens ages 12-17 play some kind of video game.

99% of boys say they are gamers and 94% of girls report that they play games.

Game playing experiences are diverse, with the most popular games falling into the racing, puzzle, sports, action and adventure categories.

A typical teen plays at least five different categories of games and 40% of them play eight or more different game types.

While some teens play violent video games, those who play violent games generally also play non-violent games.

Game playing is social, with most teens playing games with others at least some of the time.

76% of gaming teens play games with others at least some of the time.

82% play games alone at least occasionally, though 71% of this group also plays games with others.

65% of gaming teens play with others in the same room.

Game playing can incorporate many aspects of civic and political life.

76% of youth report helping others while gaming.

44% report playing games where they learn about a problem in society.

Game playing sometimes involves exposure to mature content, with almost a third of teens playing games that are listed as appropriate only for people older than they are.

32% of youth 12-16 in this sample play games that are listed as appropriate only for people older than they are.

32% of gaming teens report that at least one of their favorite games is rated Mature or Adults Only.

12-14 year olds are equally as likely to play Mature and Adults Only rated games as their 15-17 year old counterparts.

"The stereotype that gaming is a solitary, violent, anti-social activity just doesn’t hold up. The average teen plays all different kinds of games and generally plays them with friends and family both online and offline," said Amanda Lenhart, author of a report on the survey and a Senior Research Specialist with the Pew Internet and American Life Project, which conducted the survey. "Gaming is a ubiquitous part of life for both boys and girls. For most teens, gaming runs the spectrum from blow-‘em-up mayhem to building communities; from cute-and-simple to complex; from brief private sessions to hours’ long interactions with masses of others."

A focus of the survey was the relationship between gaming and civic experiences among teens. The goal was to test concerns that gaming might be prompting teens to withdraw from their communities. It turns out there is clear evidence that gaming is not just an entertaining diversion for many teens; gaming can be tied to civic and political engagement. Indeed, youth have many experiences playing games that mirror aspects of civic and political life, such as thinking about moral and ethical issues and making decisions about city and/or community affairs.

Not only do many teens help others or learn about a problem in society during their game playing, they also encounter other social and civic experiences:

52% of gamers report playing games where they think about moral and ethical issues.

43% report playing games where they help make decisions about how a community, city or nation should be run.

40% report playing games where they learn about a social issue.

Moreover, the survey indicates that youth who have these kinds of civic gaming experiences are more likely to be civically engaged in the offline world. They are more likely than others are to go online to get information about current events, to try to persuade others how to vote in an election, to say they are committed to civic participation, and to raise money for charity.

"We need to focus less on how much time kids spend playing video games and pay more attention to the kinds of experiences they have while playing them," noted Prof. Joseph Kahne, Director of the Civic Engagement Research Group at Mills College, and co-author of the report. "Games that simulate aspects of civic and political life may well promote civic skills and civic engagement. Youth, parents, teachers, and others who work with youth should know about the wide diversity of video games – so they can take full advantage of games and their civic potential."

The study also found that these civic gaming experiences occurred equally among all kinds of game players regardless of family income, race, and ethnicity. These data stand in contrast to teens’ experiences in schools and others community situations, where white and higher-income youth typically have more opportunities for civic development.

"Digital media and specifically games are a robust part of the lives of young people," explains Connie Yowell, Director of Education at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, which is funding a $50 million initiative to help determine how digital media are changing how young people learn, play, socialize, and participate in civic life. "This study offers us a glimpse into the potential of these new tools to foster learning and civic engagement, yet the findings about mature content suggest that parents and other adults need to be involved in young people’s game play, helping to realize the potential benefits while moderating unintended consequences. We see these results as the beginning of an important discussion about the role of digital media in learning, community, and citizenship in the 21st century."

The Mills College Civic Engagement Research Group has also separately issued a white paper that looks in a more detailed way at the civics findings and provides implications for parents, educators, game designers and others related to the civic potential of video game play.

Cloud computing takes hold as 69% of all internet users have either stored data online or used a web-based software application

2008-09-12

Washington, DC – Some 69% of online Americans use webmail services, store data online, or use software programs such as word processing applications whose functionality is located on the web.

In doing so, these users are making use of “cloud computing,” an emerging architecture by which data and applications reside in cyberspace, allowing users to access them through any web-connected device.

Online users who take advantage of “cloud” applications say they like the convenience of having access to data and applications from any Web-connected device. At the same time, however, they express high levels of concerns about storing personal data online when presented with scenarios about possible uses of their data by companies providing cloud services.

“Even as large numbers of users turn to ‘cloud computing’ applications, many may lack a full understanding of possible consequences of storing personal data online,” said John B. Horrigan, Associate Director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project and author of the report. “These findings give consumers, the technology community, and policymakers a chance to discuss the trade offs between convenience and privacy and figure out where there are needs for education to improve public understanding.”

Below is a rundown of the share of internet users who have done a select set of online activities that involve storing data online or accessing applications in cyberspace.

56% of internet users use webmail services such as Hotmail, Gmail, or Yahoo! Mail.

34% store personal photos online.

29% use online applications such as Google Documents or Adobe Photoshop Express.

7% store personal videos online.

5% pay to store computer files online.

5% back up hard drive to an online site.

Overall, 69% of online users have done at least one of these six activities, with 40% of internet users having done at least two of them.

Convenience and flexibility are the watchwords for those who engage in at least one of the cloud computing activities listed above:

51% of internet users who have done a cloud computing activity say a major reason they do this is that it is easy and convenient.

41% of cloud users say a major reason they use these applications is that they like being able to access their data from whatever computer they are using.

39% cite the ease of sharing information as a major reason they use applications in cyberspace or store data there.

At the same time, users report high levels of concern when presented with scenarios in which companies may put their data to uses of which they may not be aware.

90% of cloud application users say they would be very concerned if the company at which their data were stored sold it to another party.

80% say they would be very concerned if companies used their photos or other data in marketing campaigns.

68% of users of at least one of the six cloud applications say they would be very concerned if companies who provided these services analyzed their information and then displayed ads to them based on their actions.

The “cloud computing” data comes from a survey of 2,251 adults between April 8, 2008 and May 11, 2008. Some 1,553 respondents in the survey were internet users and the margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points for results based on internet users.

The Pew Internet Project is a project of the Pew Research Center.

Contact: John B. Horrigan, 202-419-4500.

55% of adult Americans have home broadband connections

2008-07-02

Washington, DC – Some 55% of all adult Americans now have a high-speed internet connection at home, according to a May 2008 survey conducted by the Pew Internet and American Life Project. The percentage of Americans with broadband at home has grown from 47% in early 2007 and 42% in early 2005. Among individuals who use the internet at home, 79% have a high-speed connection while 15% use dialup.

The 17% growth rate from 2007 to 2008 represents is comparable to the 12% growth rate recorded in the 2006 to 2007 timeframe. However, several groups exhibited little or no growth in broadband adoption at home from 2007 to 2008:

Among adults who live in households whose annual incomes are less than $20,000 annually, home broadband adoption stood at 25% in early 2008, compared with 28% in 2007.

Among African Americans, home broadband adoption stood at 43% in May 2008 compared with 40% in early 2007.

“The flat growth in home high-speed adoption for low-income Americans suggests that tightening household budgets may be affecting people’s choice of connection speed at home,” said John B. Horrigan, Associate Director of Research at the Pew Internet and American Life project and author of the report. “Broadband is more costly on a monthly basis than dial-up, and some lower income Americans may be unwilling to take on another expense.”

Nonetheless, several groups exhibited strong growth in home broadband adoption from 2007 to 2008, namely:

Older Americans: Those age 50 and over experienced a 26% growth rate in home broadband adoption from 2007 to 2008. Half of Americans between the ages of 50 and 64 have broadband at home. Some 19% of those 65 and older had home broadband access as of April 2008.

Lower-middle income Americans: Those with household incomes between $20,000 and $40,000 annually saw broadband penetration grow by 24% from 2007 to 2008. Some 45% of those in that income range reported having broadband at home in April 2008.

Rural Americans: 38% of those living in rural American now have broadband at home, compared with 31% who said this in 2007, or a growth rate of 23% from 2007 to 2008.

While broadband adoption for low-income Americans has been flat, many broadband users show a willingness to pay more for broadband in order to get faster speeds. Some 29% of home broadband users say they subscribe to a more costly premium broadband service in order to have a faster home high-speed experience. A few even have fiber optic connections at home – 2% of broadband users say they have fiber at home.

The Pew Internet study also explores the reasons why many Americans – either dial-up users or non-internet users – do not have high-speed internet connections at home. Among the 10% of Americans (or 15% of home internet users) with dial-up at home:

35% of dial-up users say that the price of broadband service would have to fall.

19% of dial-up users said nothing would convince them to get broadband.

10% of dial-up users – and 15% of dial-up users in rural America – say that broadband service would have to become available where they.

Overall, 62% of dial-up users say they are not interested in switching from dial-up to broadband.

Americans who are not online – 27% of adults who do not use the internet – are likely to be older (their median age is 61) and have low incomes. When non-internet users are asked why they don’t use the internet, here is what they say:

33% of non-users say they are not interested.

12% say they don’t have access.

9% say it is too difficult or frustrating.

7% say it is too expensive.

7% say it is a waste of time.

“Economic factors play a large role in why some people don’t have broadband, but about one in ten non-broadband users say that service isn’t available where they live,” said Horrigan. “Beyond price and availability, some non-broadband users simply don’t see the need for having a high-speed connection at home.”

Other key findings from the survey are:

Price of service:

Broadband users report an average monthly bill of $34.50 for high-speed service, 4% lower than the $36 reported by broadband users in December 2005.

Dial-up users report a montly bill of $19.70 for service, an increase of 9% over the $18 figure reported in December 2005.

Always connected users: Some 34% of online users say they have gone online away from home or work using a WiFi connection on their laptop. Among this group:

64% say they use free WiFi services when they do this.

58% use WiFi in public places such as an airport or coffee shop.

The Pew Internet Project’s report on broadband adoption is based on the Project’s April-May 2008 survey of 2,251 adults, 1,153 of whom were home broadband users. The Pew Internet Project is an initiative of the Pew Research Center, a nonprofit “fact tank” that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. Pew Internet explores the impact of the internet on children, families, communities, the work place, schools, health care and civic/political life. The Project is nonpartisan and takes no position on policy issues.

The internet and the 2008 election

2008-06-15

WASHINGTON, DC – Fully 46% of all Americans have used the internet, email or cell phone text messaging to get news about the campaign, share their views and mobilize others.

Further, the proportion of Americans going online on a typical day at the tail end of the primary season to get political news or information has more than doubled since a comparable point in the 2004 race—from 8% of all adults in spring 2004 to 17% of all adults in spring 2008.

These are among the highlights of a new national survey of 2,251 American adults by the Pew Internet and American Life Project between April 8 and May 11. The poll found, among other things, that younger voters are among the most active and intense internet users. These online voters are more likely to support Democrat Barack Obama and that means his partisans were significantly ahead of Hillary Clinton’s supporters online in the endgame of the Democratic race. In addition, Obama backers have a higher profile in some online areas than supporters of Republican John McCain.

The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.

The 46% figure was calculated by adding up the number of people who said had done at least one of the following activities:

• 40% of all Americans (internet users and non-users alike) have gotten news and information about this year’s campaign via the internet.
• 19% of Americans go online once a week or more to do something related to the campaign, and 6% go online to engage politically on a daily basis.
• 23% of Americans say they receive emails urging them to support a candidate or discuss the campaign once a week or more.
• 10% of Americans use email to contribute to the political debate with a similar frequency.
• 4% of Americans have exchanged political views via text messaging.

The figures above add up to more than 46% because many citizens said they were doing several of the activities.

Three online activities have become especially prominent as the presidential primary campaigns have progressed: First, 35% of Americans say they have watched online political videos – a figure that nearly triples the reading the Pew Internet Project got in the 2004 race.

Second, 10% say they have used social networking sites such as Facebook or MySpace to gather information or become involved. This is particularly popular with younger voters: Two-thirds of internet users under the age of 30 have a social networking profile, and half of these use social networking sites to get or share information about politics or the campaigns.

Third, 6% of Americans have made political contributions online, compared with 2% who did that during the entire 2004 campaign.

A significant number of voters are also using the internet to gain access to campaign events and primary documents. Some 39% of online Americans have used the internet to access “unfiltered” campaign materials, which includes video of candidate debates, speeches and announcements, as well as position papers and speech transcripts.

“Many voters are now using the internet to move past traditional media gatekeepers to gain their own view of the candidates and the campaign,” said Pew Internet Project Research Specialist Aaron Smith, an author on the report. “This shows the appetite of engaged citizens to move beyond the sound-bite culture and make their own assessments of the meaning of political developments.”

He cited as an example, the survey finding that nearly one in five Americans (18%) has watched an online video that did not come from either a traditional news organization or the campaigns themselves.

Online activism using social media has also grown substantially since the first time we probed this issue during the 2006 midterm elections. Among the findings in our survey:

• 11% of Americans have contributed to the political conversation by forwarding or posting someone else’s commentary about the race.
• 5% have posted their own original commentary or analysis.
• 6% have gone online to donate money to a candidate or campaign.
• Young voters are helping to define the online political debate—12% of online 18-29 year olds have posted their own political commentary or writing to an online newsgroup, website or blog.

Led by young voters, Democrats and Obama supporters have taken the lead in their use of online tools for political engagement.

• 74% of wired Obama supporters have gotten political news and information online, compared with 57% of online Clinton supporters.
• In a head-to-head matchup with internet users who support Republican McCain, Obama’s backers are more likely to get political news and information online (65% vs. 56%).
• Obama supporters outpace both Clinton and McCain supporters in their usage of online video, social networking sites and other online campaign activities.

Yet despite the growth in the number of people who are politically engaged online, internet users express some ambivalence about the role of the internet in the campaign. On one hand, 28% of wired Americans say that the internet makes them feel more personally connected to the campaign, and 22% say that they would not be as involved in the campaign if not for the internet. At the same time, however, even larger numbers feel that the internet magnifies the most extreme viewpoints and is a source of misinformation for many voters.

The internet and consumer choice

2008-05-18

WASHINGTON DC – The internet plays an important role in how people conduct research for purchases, but it is just one among a variety of sources people use and usually not the key factor in final purchasing decisions.

A new study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project tracks the decision-making processes for buying music, purchasing a cell phone, and buying or renting a home. Here are the top three sources used in product research for each of the three products.

For those who have bought music in the prior year:

83% say they find out about music from the radio, the television, or in a movie.

64% say they find out about music from friends, family members, or co-workers.

56% say they find out about music through various online tools, such as going to a band’s or artist’s website or streaming samples of songs to their computers.

Among those who have purchased a cell phone in the prior year:

59% asked an expert or salesperson for advice.

46% go to one or more cell phone stores.

39% use the internet.

For those who have rented or bought new housing in the prior year:

49% use the internet.

49% look through ads in the newspaper.

47% ask a real estate agent for advice.

Even though many buyers use the internet in product research, relatively few say online information had a major impact on the product choice they eventually made. Only 7% of music buyers, 10% of cell phone buyers, and 11% of those who bought or rented a home in the prior year say that online information had a major impact on their decision.

“The internet is a tactical tool for shoppers who use it in product research, and usually not a game-changer in people’s purchasing decisions,” said John B. Horrigan, Associate Director at the Pew Internet Project and author of the report.

“Its impacts show up in efficiencies in the search process. Even for a digital product such as music, people more often than not buy in stores, not online.”

Among online Americans who use the internet for product research, online resources make shopping more efficient by helping them explore options and compare features. And while sizable numbers say it helps them get better deals, few execute the purchase online.

For music buyers who used the internet to find out about music:

68% said it helped them learn more about bands or artists they were interested in.

42% said online information helped them save money in buying music.

37% said it led them to buy more music than they otherwise would have.

Nonetheless, just 22% of all music buyers say their most recent purchase was online (either a digital download or ordering a compact disc), while 74% said their most recent purchase was at a store. Among smaller set of music buyers using the internet to find out about music, one-third (33%) said their most recent purchase was online.

Among cell phone buyers who used the internet for product research:

48% said it changed the model or brand of the cell phone they bought.

43% said online information led them to get a phone with more features than they otherwise would have.

41% said online information helped them spend less on their phone.

Just 12% of all cell buyers say they bought their cell phone online; among the smaller set of music buyers using the internet to find out about music, 26% said they purchased it online.

Among those who bought or rented a home in the prior year:

57% say it reduced the number of places they looked at.

54% say they took a video tour of the house, apartment, or neighborhood in which were interested.

29% say they thought online information helped them save money on the house they bought or apartment they rented.

“Shoppers cast their information nets widely when researching a product, so online information exists in a competitive product research environment,” said Horrigan. “This gives online vendors incentives to promote an environment of trust and reliability at their websites.”

About the Pew Internet and American Life Project: The Pew Internet Project is an initiative of the Pew Research Center, a nonprofit “fact tank” that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. Pew Internet explores the impact of the internet on children, families, communities, the work place, schools, health care and civic/political life. The Project is nonpartisan and takes no position on policy issues. Support for the project is provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts. The Project's Web site: http://www.pewinternet.org

Contact: John B. Horrigan, 202-419-4500.

Teens do not consider a lot of their electronic texts as writing

2008-04-24

WASHINGTON – The state of writing among teens today is marked by an interesting paradox: While teens are heavily embedded in a tech-rich world and craft a significant amount of electronic text, they see a fundamental distinction between their electronic social communications and the more formal writing they do for school or for personal reasons.

85% of youth ages 12-17 engage at least occasionally in some form of electronic personal communication, which includes text messaging, sending email or instant messages, or posting comments on social networking sites.

60% of teens do not think of these electronic texts as "writing."

Teens are utilitarian in their approach to technology and writing, using both computers and longhand depending on circumstances. Their use of computers for school and personal writing is often tied to the convenience of being able to edit easily. And while they do not think their use of computers or their text-based communications with friends influences their formal writing, many do admit that the informal styles that characterize their e-communications do occasionally bleed into their schoolwork.

57% of teens say they revise and edit more when they write using a computer.

63% of teens say using computers to write makes no difference in the quality of the writing they produce.

73% of teens say their personal electronic communications (email, IM, text messaging) have no impact on the writing they do for school, and 77% said they have no impact on the writing they do for themselves.

64% of teens admit that they incorporate, often accidentally, at least some informal writing styles used in personal electronic communication into their writing for school. (Some 25% have used emoticons in their school writing; 50% have used informal punctuation and grammar; 38% have used text shortcuts such as "LOL" meaning "laugh out loud.")

All of this matters more than ever because teenagers and their parents uniformly believe that good writing is a bedrock for future success. Eight in ten parents believe that good writing skills are more important now than they were 20 years ago, and 86% of teens believe that good writing ability is an important component of guaranteeing success later in life.

Recognizing this, 82% of teens say they think their writing would improve if teachers had them spend more class time doing writing. Blacks and those from lower-income households are the most ardent believers in the importance of writing and in the likely payoff of more class time devoted to it.

These are among the key findings in a national phone survey of 700 youth ages 12-17 and their parents conducted by the Pew Internet and American Life Project and the National Commission on Writing. The survey was completed in mid-November and has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points. The report also contains findings from eight focus groups in four U.S. cities conducted in the summer of 2007.

"There is a raging national debate about the state of writing and how high-tech communication by teens might be affecting their ability to think and write," noted Amanda Lenhart, a senior research specialist at Pew who co-authored a report on the findings titled Writing, Technology and Teens. "Those on both sides of the issue will see supporting data here. There is clearly a big gap in the minds of teenagers between the 'real' writing they do for school and the texts they compose for their friends. Yet, it is also clear that writing holds a central place in the lives of teens and in their vision about the skills they need for the future."

Adds Richard Sterling, chair of the advisory board for the National Commission on Writing, executive director emeritus of the National Writing Project and senior fellow at the College Board: "We think these findings point to a critical strategy question for all educators: How can we connect the enthusiasm of young people for informal, technology-based writing with classroom experiences that illuminate the power of well-organized, well-reasoned writing?"

This survey finds that, apart from their text-based electronic communications, teens write with some frequency inside and outside of the school environment. All teens do at least some writing for school, and 93% write for themselves outside of school at least on occasion.

Writing is a common activity within the school environment, as 50% of teens say that they write something for school every day. However, most writing assignments are short: 82% of teens say their typical writing assignment is a paragraph to one page in length.

Beyond using technology to facilitate their writing, teens also use the internet to research their school writing projects; 94% of teens use the internet at least occasionally to do research for their school assignments. Nearly half (48%) of teens say they use the internet to research something for school once a week or more often.

In our focus groups, teens outlined what motivates and inspires them to write. They appreciated the opportunity to choose topics relevant to their own lives and experiences, and the chance to write for teachers and other adults who challenge them. Teens feel encouraged by opportunities to write creatively, and spoke of the motivation of having an audience for their work.

"Today's teens know that writing is important, and know that they need to learn the skills to write well to ensure a productive future for themselves," said Sousan Arafeh, of Research Images, and head of the focus group project. "Teens understand that learning to write well is a growth process, even if sometimes it feels like the educational equivalent of 'eating your vegetables.'"

About The Pew Internet Project: The Project is an initiative of the Pew Research Center, a nonprofit "fact tank" that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. Pew Internet explores the impact of the internet on children, families, communities, the work place, schools, health care and civic/political life. The Project is nonpartisan and takes no position on policy issues. Support for the project is provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts. The Project's Web site: http://www.pewinternet.org

About the National Commission on Writing for America’s Families, Schools and Colleges: In an effort to focus national attention on the teaching and learning of writing, the College Board established the National Commission on Writing for America's Families, Schools, and Colleges in September 2002. The decision to create the Commission was animated in part by the Board's plans to offer a writing assessment in 2005 as part of the new SAT®, but the larger motivation lay in the growing concern within the education, business, and policy-making communities that the level of writing in the United States is not what it should be.

Mobile Access to Data and Information

2008-03-05

WASHINGTON – Some 62% of adult Americans have taken advantage of mobile access to digital data and tools. The Pew Internet Project’s new report, entitled Mobile Access to Data and Information, examines mobile access in two ways and finds that:

58% of adult Americans have used a cell phone or personal digital assistant (PDA) to do at least one of ten mobile non-voice data activities, such as texting, emailing, taking a picture, looking for maps or directions, or recording video.

41% of adult Americans have logged onto the internet on the go, that is, away from home or work either with a wireless laptop connection or a handheld device.

Overall, 62% of adult Americans have either accessed the internet with a wireless connection away from home or work or used a non-voice data application using their cell phone or PDA, according to the Pew Internet Project’s December 2007 survey.

“People’s growing reliance on their cell phones, together with wireless internet access from laptops, suggests a shift in expectations about cyberspace,” said John B. Horrigan, Associate Director of the Pew Internet Project and author of the report. “For many people, access to digital information and resources is an ‘always present’ utility for answering questions and documenting what is going on around them through photos or video recording.”

Overall, 75% of all American adults say they own cell phones. Here’s how the data breaks out when looking at non-voice data activities people access from their cell phones or personal digital assistants (PDA), with percentage represented as a share of those with cell phones or PDAs.

Send or receive text messages: 58% have done this at some point, with 31% saying they do this on a typical day.

Take a picture: 58% have taken a picture with their device; 15% say they do this on the typical day.

Play a game: 27% have played a game on their handheld device, with 8% saying they do this on a typical day.

Send of receive email: 19% have done this, with 8% saying they do this on a typical day.

Access the internet for news or other information: 19% have used their handheld device for such information access, with 7% saying they do this on the average day.

Record a video: 18% have done this with their handheld device, with 3% say they shoot a video on their cell phone on the typical day.

Play music: 17% do this with their cell or PDA, 7% on the typical day.

Send or receive instant messages: 17% have used their device for IM-ing, and 6% saying they do this on the average day.

Get maps or directions: 14% say they have gotten maps or directions with their device; 3% do this on the typical day.

10% have watched a video on their handheld device, with 3% saying they do this on the average day.

Young adults (those between the ages of 18 and 29) are most likely, on a typical day, to use their cell phone or PDA to access a non-voice data application; 73% with wireless handheld devices do so. This compares to the average of 42% of those with cell phones or PDAs who use a non-voice data application on their devices on the typical day.

More striking is use among African Americans and Latinos. Some 56% of English-speaking Hispanics with a wireless handheld device use a non-voice data or information application on the average day, and 50% of African Americans with wireless handhelds do so. These groups lagged in “desktop” online access in the late 1990s and early part of the decade, but the report shows a very different pattern for wireless access on the go. African Americans and English-speaking Hispanics are more likely than white Americans to use cell phones or PDAs for non-voice data applications.

The report also suggests that email is alive and well, even though sending text-messages is very popular, especially among young adults. On the average day, 60% of those between the ages of 18 and 29 with cell phones or PDAs send or receive text messages, while about the same share (62%) of internet users in this age group send or receive email on the typical day.

“Notwithstanding predictions of email’s demise, it remains an important part of people’s electronic communications, even among users of text-messaging,” Horrigan said. “The different tools may serve different functions – with texting a way to stay in touch with friends, and email more oriented to officialdom, such as communicating with co-workers or institutions.”

The report also documents how many Americans have connected to the internet with a laptop or other wireless-enabled device away from home or work. Some 52% of internet users have done this at some point. Usage patterns for this type of wireless access (e.g., logging on to WiFi networks) are similar to those for non-voice data access using cell phones or PDAs, with young Americans, blacks, and English-speaking Hispanics being the most likely users of wireless while away from home or work.

The data for this report was gathered through telephone interviews conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates between October 24, 2007 and December 5, 2007, among a sample of 2,058 adults, aged 18 and older, with 500 respondents contacted on their cell phones. The sample has a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points.

Pew Internet and American Life Project is a non-profit, non-partisan initiative of the Pew Research Center that produces reports exploring the impact of the internet on children, families, communities, the work place, schools, health care, and civic/political life. Support for the Pew Internet Project is provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts.

Media Contact: John B. Horrigan, 202.419.4500