How American generations use smartphones

People continue to engrain smartphones further into their lives, relying on them for communication and many other activities. No single communication mode has reached singularity, and instead the top activities include text messaging, personal email, and even personal phone calls. Later generations have the highest regular use of social networking activity, while earlier generations are increasingly using smartphones for online shopping and banking. Video calls have only emerged as a top activity among one generational group.

This MetaFAQ reports on how Americans use smartphones. It shows the percentage of Americans doing any of the top ten smartphone activities. Further, it compares these percentages to how smartphone users use them worldwide. For Americans, it also splits these activities by generational group, identifying each group’s top ten activities and the three activities that have expanded the most since 2019. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0212_spac] in TUP Lenses: Devices; PCs; Mobile Phones; Activities; Communication

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Employers lag in home computer provisioning

More workers use a home computer for work than use an employer-provided computer. With the onset of the pandemic, employees and employers alike suddenly scrambled for ways to get their work done. For many employees, especially knowledge workers, having access to a computer is vital. However, not all employers have supported remote workers by providing a computer, and instead have relied on employees using their home computers. Currently, in all countries surveyed except for the UK, more workers use a home PC for work-related activities than use a work computer.

This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of remote workers and non-remote workers who use a home computer for work-related activities or use an employer-provided PC, across the US, Germany, UK, Japan, and China. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0129_hwpc] in TUP Lenses: PCs; Activities; Work/Life Balance

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Game playing is widespread, although platform choices vary by generation

Dan Ness, Principal Analyst, MetaFacts, January 24, 2024

Summary

Playing games on an active, if casual, basis continues to be widespread, even as the choice of platforms is shifting. The worldwide and American trend away from regular PC use is affecting game playing and entertainment as much as productivity and creative activities. This year marks the first time that more American game players use a game console than a home PC.

This MetaFAQs reports on the number and percentage of online adults who regularly play immersive/action or other games using connected devices: a game console, home PC, gaming PC, primary PC, or smartphone. American adults are detailed by age generation and life phase: comprised of generation with educational and employment status.

Newer generations, focused platforms

  • That game playing is tilted toward younger generations may come as no surprise, although the choice of platforms varies by generations
  • Gaming PCs are highly skewed towards Gen Z and millennials, with these two generations comprising almost 90% of the active base of adult users
  • At the other end of the spectrum, boomers make up effectively the same relative share (12%) of adults playing games on connected devices, smartphones (12%), home computers (13%), and their primary PCs (11%)
  • It’s interesting that Gen X embraces game consoles at twice the rate of using a gaming PC. This reflects a growing inertia among Gen X adults who continue using game consoles instead of adopting relatively newer gaming PCs.
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Usage guidelines: This document may be freely shared within and outside your organization in its entirety and unaltered. It may not be used with a generative AI system without separate licensing and express written permission. To share or quote excerpts, please contact MetaFacts.